Despite trading away picks from the 2022 NFL draft as a part of the Deshaun Watson deal, the Cleveland Browns still ended up making nine selections. While the group lacks anyone from the first or second round, the team is hopeful to find impact players.
WR David Bell could step in as the team’s primary slot receiver while CB Martin (MJ) Emerson and DE Alex Wright could provide depth help to the defense.
The two draftees that have the easiest path to making an impact as rookies are both fourth-round picks. DT Perrion Winfrey joins an underwhelming group of defensive tackles while K Cade York is the team’s kicker barring injury.
Those two are also the only two players from the draft class that have not signed their contracts.
While that is unlikely to cause any problems in the big picture, we now may know what the problem is. The Houston Texans may be to blame for why a vast majority of the fourth round picks this year have not signed contracts yet:
Fourth-round picks have been the slowest to agree to deals, in large part because the #Texans have RB Dameone Pierce (second pick in the round) an extra $25k over the minimum, so now every agent behind him is asking for the same. Below pic: Number of signings as of yesterday. pic.twitter.com/pUTui1Um7g
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) June 9, 2022
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While second-round picks are generally some of the latest to sign, having that many from the fourth round is unheard of given the limitations of the collective bargaining agreement. For each player, there may be other circumstances preventing a signing but for a majority of that round to be unsigned points to the Texans decision earlier in the round.
Winfrey and York are likely to sign in advance of training camp but it will be interesting to see what teams give in to what Houston did and which are able to hold their ground with their fourth-round picks.