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Cleveland Browns 2024 Draft Day Ahead: Who do they target?

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As we enter year three of the Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson era, we are left with waiting until Day 2 of the NFL Draft to see what the team might do. That’s because the Browns sold the farm (3 years of 1st round picks) to get Watson. Despite this, the Browns organization and General Manager Andrew Berry have still put together good teams on paper. That was shown in a variety of ways in the past, culminating in an 11-6 record a year ago and a playoff appearance.

Many analysts of the Browns currently believe that the team they have put together, including the addition of players like wide receiver Jerry Jeudy make them a serious contender for the NFL Championship in 2024. So, as we look at what the team does in this draft, we will see that they have a variety of options and thus they can probably be a bit more flexible on who those draftees end up being.

Let’s look at three different players that the Browns are considering as they prepare for the kickoff of the NFL Draft on Thursday, April 25th in Detroit, Michigan.

Prospect No.1: Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M

Sep 23, 2023; College Station, Texas, USA; Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Walter Nolen (0) and linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (45) tackle Auburn Tigers quarterback Robby Ashford (9) for a loss during the third quarter at Kyle Field. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Cleveland lost both linebackers Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki to free agency this offseason and their linebacking crew is thin. Pairing a new young player like Edgerrin Cooper from Texas A&M with Jeremiah Owusu Koramoah might be a draft selection worth making.

He’s tall 6’2, 230 lbs athletic, and a fast player. He has tremendous closing speed and can get from sideline to sideline very well. Watching him on film you can also see he can explode into the backfield off the edges or through the A camps to create problems for opponents. In his last three seasons as an Aggie, he totaled 203 tackles, had 8.5 sacks, had two interceptions, forced three fumbles and recovered two of them.

His biggest pitfall now coming out of college is his processing and instincts. While his athletic ability and quickness make him a real asset to his team he might not be the quickest study. But with a Browns team that’s already pretty veteran on the defensive side of the ball, it would give a player like Cooper time to adjust to the NFL game.

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Prospect No. 2: Kingsley Suamataia, OT, BYU

Oct 21, 2023; Provo, Utah, USA; Brigham Young Cougars offensive lineman Kingsley Suamataia (78) prepares to block against the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first half at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Gray-USA TODAY Sports

The Browns offensive line isn’t getting any younger. With players like Joel Bitonio and Jack Conklin (coming off of another serious leg injury) and a recent draft pick in Jedrick Wills not playing great in his time in Cleveland, the team can really take a look at offensive linemen in this draft.

One player who has been in town for a visit has been Kingsley Suamataia from BYU. He’s a powerful and athletic big man (6’6, 280 Lbs) who’s only allowed two sacks in his college career. He just turned 21 years old in January and has a lot to still learn in the NFL, but he has the talent to be great. Some projections have him as being one of the 12th-best offensive linemen in this draft.

Suamataia may not be there for the Browns at No. 54 as several draft analysts have him going as high as No. 31 to the San Francisco 49ers. But if he is available then Cleveland needs to select him.

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Prospect No. 3: Michael Hall, DT, Ohio State

Nov 25, 2023; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (51) celebrates a sack of Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) during the first half of the NCAA football game at Michigan Stadium.

The Buckeye would add a great deal of athleticism to the Browns defensive line right off the bat if drafted by the team. At his recent pro day in Columbus, he absolutely crushed it, running a 4.78 40-yard dash (98th % of all DTs in draft) and jumping a vertical of 33 inches (93% of all DTs in draft). He was a good pass rusher in his time at Ohio State and has developed many counter moves already that wouldn’t make him just a project in the NFL. He would see time on the field in Cleveland right away.

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The Browns took three Buckeyes a year ago through the draft and free agency including Dawand Jones, Ronnie Hickman and Luke Wypler. It would be cool to see them go back down 1-71 and grab a few more Ohio State players.

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