Cleveland Browns 2023 NFL Draft Recap
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Thompson-Robinson, the Cleveland Browns fifth-round pick, finished his UCLA career as the all-time leader in touchdown passes and accounted for 136 total touchdowns in school.
The Cleveland Browns entered the 2023 NFL Draft with eight selections and traded away one to the Baltimore Ravens for a 2024 sixth-round pick. After giving up first round picks in multiple drafts, trades were likely not going to be a big factor for the Browns unless they were picking up extra picks. We were high on most of the selections they made, with five ranking in our Top 100. Many of those players could fill critical backup roles, led by UCLA quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who will enter training camp entrenched in a battle with Joshua Dobbs (Titans) and Kellen Mond (Vikings) for the backup job.
The team made a number of moves to shore up a rush defense that ranked 25th in the league a year ago and former Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika ranks as a solid rotational piece with new defensive tackles Maurice Hurst, Jr. (49ers) and Dalvin Tomlinson (Vikings). Tomlinson is expected to have a big impact.
They went out and got Greg Newsome II’s former teammate in Northwestern’s Cameron Mitchell to perhaps ease the loss of Greedy Williams (Eagles) in free agency and picked up another rotational pass rusher in Missouri’s Isaiah McGuire to pair with free agent signee Ogbonnia Okoronkwo (Texans), Alex Wright and 2022 draft pick Alex Wright.
Perhaps their biggest free agent signing after the draft was former Georgia Tech linebacker Charlie Thomas, who could find an all-purpose role in a linebacking corps that was ravaged by injury a season ago. Thomas finished his Yellow Jackets career with 10 sacks and 37 tackles for losses.
| Cleveland Browns 2023 NFL Draft recap | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cleveland Browns | |||||
| Selection | Player Selection | Position- School | DN Big Board Rank/ Grade | Nasty’ Take: | Value (1-5) based on DN Big Board Rank and our grade: |
| 3 (74) | Cedric Tillman 6’3 214 | WR-Tennessee | 90/3rd Round | A physical on-ball presence, Tillman contains strength and positive hand-eye coordination at nearly 215 pounds. Staying healthy could make him a factor in cold weather. | 5 |
| 3 (98) | Siaki Ika 6’3 335 | DT-Baylor, LSU | 46/2nd Round | Ika’s presence in the middle supplemented what the team had done in the offseason with the signings of Tomlinson (Vikings), Hurst, Jr. (49ers) and Hill (Cardinals). Only Tomlinson is a lock to start. | 5 |
| 4 (111) | Dawand Jones 6’8 375 | OT-Ohio State | 43/2nd Round | A litany of pre-snap penalties hurt Jones’ draft day stock. Can he get that corrected and keep his weight under control? The former high school basketball star has starter capability. | 5 |
| 4 (126) | Isaiah McGuire 6’4 268 | DE-Missouri | 180/3rd Round | McGuire is a solid prospect who may be a better run defender at this stage and could even give repetitions as a three-technique defensive tackle on third downs. | 4 |
| 5 (140) | Dorian Thompson-Robinson 6’2 203 | QB-UCLA | 21/2nd Round | The 10th quarterback selected in the draft should get an opportunity to learn from Deshaun Watson and Josh Dobbs. Thompson-Robinson also has to compete with former Vikings third-round pick Kellen Mond. | 5 |
| 5 (142) | Cameron Mitchell 5’11 191 | CB-Northwestern | 255/4th Round | The Browns already hit home with his teammate Greg Newsome II a couple of years back and decide to back to the Northwestern well for another corner. Mitchell’s tackling ability could give him versatility within the team’s schemes. | 5 |
| 6 (190) | Luke Wypler 6’3 300 | OC-Ohio State | 76/2nd Round | Ohio State's recent history of interior linemen (Billy Price, Pat Elflein, Wyatt Davis) may leave cause for pause around the NFL. There are Buckeyes interior linemen who have had success (Corey Linsley-Chargers, Josh Myers-Packers, Jonah Jackson-Lions). Wypler is more less a mix of Elflein and Linsley. | 5 |
| No. 1 UDFA signing: | Charlie Thomas 6’2 216 | LB-Nickel-Georgia Tech | 192/4th Round | Thomas was one of the more active linebackers in the ACC this past season, just look at the Pittsburgh contest. A former defensive back who could fill a multi-purpose role while excelling on special teams. | 5 |
| Draft Grade: | 4.86 |
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