It is just about here finally, it is NFL Draft week at last!
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Thursday will kick off the first of three days and seven rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. For the Cleveland Browns, it’s six selections in total all after the first round.
Following free agency and now into the draft, the Browns still have a couple of things they need to accomplish. Today, I’ll get into my wishlist of things that I would like to see the team do.
Draft Mike Hall Jr. out of Ohio State
Since the 2023 season ended, I’ve been pounding the table for the Browns to take Hall. The Buckeye grew up in Northeast Ohio and fits the bill for what the Browns need. Adding a defensive tackle who has his game inclined toward getting after the quarterback is something that needs to happen.
Hall is one of the better interior pass rushers in the draft, if not the best. He has some effort concerns on tape where he looks to be winded, but when he gets that figured out you’re looking at a very talented player.
Siaki Ika isn’t going to get after the quarterback much from the interior and that’s the only other defensive tackle on the roster past the 2024 season besides Dalvin Tomlinson.
Hall would not be expected to be a major contributor in year No. 1, which would work in his favor getting acclimated to the game.
Grab a wide receiver that is falling in the NFL Draft
Look, the Browns added Jerry Jeudy this offseason but they could stand to add a rookie in the draft as well. The class is loaded from the early to mid-rounds with some solid prospects. Only so many teams will be selecting a wide receiver with other needs to be had, so some players at the position as liable to slip down the board.
I feel good with the Browns taking Hall at No. 54 in the draft, so Cleveland wouldn’t be looking to add said wideout until at least the third round in this scenario. If a prospect such as Xavier Legette, Roman Wilson, or Malachi Corley are there the Browns should be interested.
Take an offensive tackle to continue adding to that position
Cleveland is in a good spot for the 2024 season with three starting-caliber offensive tackles between Jedrick Wills Jr., Jack Conklin, and second-year player Dawand Jones. However, Conkin isn’t getting any younger at 30 years old when the season starts, and several serious injuries encountered during his career.
Additionally, Wills is playing on his fifth-year option and his future in Cleveland is uncertain after this coming season. Through four seasons, Wills has been unable to prove he is the longtime answer at left tackle.
The Browns need to continue adding to the tackle position because they saw last year how quickly you can get down to your fifth offensive tackle.
If Audric Estime is there anytime following the third round take him
The Browns were active in free agency at the running back position knowing that Nick Chubb is working his way back from injury. Cleveland signed D’Onta Foreman and added a return man and receiving back threat Nyheim Hines.
Cleveland and Chubb agreed to a reworked contract that will keep him around in 2023 but the position has no sure placeholder after that. Jerome Ford took a load of the carries last season but didn’t appear to be anything that the Browns couldn’t replace. This is where Estime out of Notre Dame comes into play.
Throw out the testing scores and then on the tape when it comes to Estime because he can flat-out play. A player that has been able to have breakaway speed at the college level and the quickness to get into the open running a 4.7 40-yard dash isn’t concerning me.
I often see Chubb when watching Estime when the way that he maneuvers through the line and stays bouncing on his feet looking to punch through a hole. A powerful running back who was very productive for Notre Dame and looked like one of the better backs in the country in 2023.
Estime is a future starter in the NFL is how I see it and he may fall because of his testing. If the Browns can draft him in the fourth round or later it is a win.
