The NFL Combine started this week in Indianapolis and Cleveland Browns fans continue to speculate on who they will take in the upcoming draft starting on April 24th. There continues to be a lot of conversation around the Browns current defensive and Myles Garrett demanding the trade. Also, this week, it was disclosed that the Browns were going to let Nick Chubb explore free agency. What that means for the veteran running back and the Browns is hard to say at this moment.
The Browns want to find some new young blood, and with current college prospects interviewing this week with the teams and many of the same players working out at the combine, Cleveland is getting a good look at a lot of talent.
The Tennessee Titans own the No. 1 pick, and depending on what they do with that pick or who they select will have a bearing on Cleveland‘s pick at No.2.
Let’s take a look at the first three rounds of this mock draft and see who the Browns take this time. We’ve already taken Shedeur Sanders and Abdul Carter at No.2. Will either of these two players go again at No. 2 in this latest Browns mock draft?
1st Round, Pick No. 2 overall: Cam Ward, QB Miami
After listening to the Browns general manager, Andrew Berry, and coach Kevin Stefanski speak at the NFL combine this week, I’m convinced that the Browns love Cam Ward, and if he’s there at No.2, they will pick him.
He has all the intangibles to be a great NFL quarterback. He can be a gunslinger, but he can also manage a football game. His decision-making and ability to adapt to the situation make him a top-quality pick.
He can do things with his feet and arm, throwing the ball from various angles, similar to a current veteran QB like Patrick Mahomes, which could make him invaluable.
There are still two months before the draft and plenty of time for more speculation, but if the Browns want to change the trajectory of their team for the future, picking a player like Ward would be the beginning of that.
2nd Round Pick 33 overall: Kenneth Grant, Defensive Lineman, Michigan
The Browns need help in the interior on both sides of the ball. Their defensive line is exactly one of youth, and they need to start considering taking some better players from the draft. If Kenneth Grant is still there at No. 33, which is not a lock, then I hope the Browns snatch him up. He would definitely help the Browns defensive efforts moving forward. Grant’s teammate Mason Graham of Michigan will likely be drafted well into the first round. Grant could be drafted as high as a top-10 pick but most analysts have him being picked somewhere in the late first round or early second round.
He had a stellar career with the Wolverines, playing three years as a starter from the beginning. This past season, he recorded 32 tackles, including seven for losses, had five pass deflections, and forced two fumbles.
He is a force to be reckoned with on the interior of a defensive line, standing about 6’4 and weighing about 340 pounds.
He would be an excellent “meat and potatoes” type of pick for the Browns, who are looking for players that are good run stoppers.
3rd Round Pick No.67 overall: Jonah Savaiinaea, Offensive Lineman
As was mentioned above, the Browns still need a lot of work in the trenches, especially on the offensive line. Cleveland should seriously consider drafting Jonah Savaiinaea of Arizona.
Growing up in Hawaii and being an American Samoan, he’s a huge kid, standing about 6’5 and weighing about 340 pounds. He has great density, solid footwork, and patience with his hands while blocking. He’s been described as a “Mountain of Man,” having a space-eating frame. He has played various positions on the line, primarily at right tackle.
Ideally, though, he would be best suited for the guard position. He would do well in gap-heavy run schemes offensively, which the Browns would be using.
He has great intuition and spatial awareness, especially when defenders are coming at him with stunts, and his gap integrity is excellent. When he has to go into the second level of defenses, he rarely fans on blocks against linebackers or corners.
3rd Round Pick No. 101 (after trading Pick No.94): Dylan Sampson, RB, Tennessee
In this mock draft version, Cleveland decides to trade their 94th pick to the Detroit Lions. In exchange, the Browns get the pick No.101 this year and a 3rd and 4th-round pick in 2026.
With this selection, the Browns end up taking Dylan Sampson, the running back from Tennessee. He had an excellent junior season with the Volunteers, which happens to be Cleveland owner Jimmy Haslem’s alma mater.
Sampson broke the single-season record for rushing this year with 1,491 yards and also the single season record for touchdowns at 22.
He’s not a huge back, standing just a little under 6 feet. But he has a lot of great qualities, including good timing, spacing, and understanding of the blocking in front of him. He’s good at letting lanes develop. He looks like a seasoned veteran when you watch him on tape.
Watching him, you’ll see him running away from secondary defenders from Alabama, Arkansas, and Florida consistently. Many of his runs were right up the gut of the defense through small windows, which reminds you of our current Cleveland running back, Nick Chubb (who’s a free agent).
Sampson has a lot of room to develop, especially in the passing game, but one can definitely see a player that is going to be ready to help immediately in the NFL. He may not start right away, but he could come in and help in short-yard situations and other places, like on special teams.
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