2024 Cleveland Browns Mock Draft 1.0
PFN Mock Simulator - 7 rounds - Let's goo
Growing up a Cleveland Browns fan, I’ve always loved the NFL Draft. I remember being 6 years old and sitting in the living room with my family as my 11-year-old brother and I were euphoric as the Browns selected Kellen Winslow Jr., TE Miami with pick 6 overall. Most Browns fans probably know how that story ended so I’ll let it end there and move to less upsetting topics - this year’s draft.
The last year without a first-round pick from the Watson deal. A lot of the top players seem to be a bit on the older side of typical draft prospects, as the additional years of NCAA eligibility from the pandemic run out. Let’s dive in:
The Pick: Round 2, Pick 54 - Xavier Worthy, WR Texas
Why: I do not have high confidence that Xavier Worthy will make it to pick 54, especially because I predict he will test well at the combine. BUT this would be a home run pick for the Browns. Andrew Berry has yet to pick a Wide Receiver earlier than the third round in his time as the Browns’ GM, but this year seems like a great year to change that. With Elijah Moore not yet standing out as the WR2 of the future, the Browns will surely look to add multiple WRs this offseason, likely one in free agency and at least one in the draft.
Worthy is a dynamic 6’1” WR with excellent speed and the ability to make plays lining up both on the outside and in the slot. Not only that, but Worthy is a dangerous punt returner, something that the Browns have lacked for a long time (Travis Benjamin comes to mind as the last one - not counting Jakeem Grant 💔). Worthy is a serious deep threat, and also has a developed route tree to where he could be a future WR1 in the NFL.
Xavier Worthy will turn 21 years old on draft weekend, meaning he fits nicely in Andrew Berry’s age guardrails, which are especially important in his earlier-round picks. Check out Xavier Worthy’s 2023 highlights here.
2023 stats: 75 REC | 1,014 YDS | 5 TD (via ESPN)
The Pick: Round 3, Pick 85 - Braden Fiske, DT Florida State
Why: Braden Fiske will be 24 years old when the season starts, but sometimes if the talent is there, you have to pull the trigger. We saw Andrew Berry draft outside his usual age + athleticism guardrails in 2023 with guys like Cedric Tillman and Siaki Ika. I believe Berry will be flexible with the guardrails again this year, particularly with later picks and especially as the team is in “Win Now” mode. With Dalvin Tomlinson and Ika currently the only Defensive Tackles under contract for 2024, it seems likely that Berry will add one at some point in the draft. Fiske looks to be a solid pass rusher on the inside of the defensive line, measuring in at 6’5”, 297 pounds.
Fiske started his college career at Western Michigan, where he played 5 seasons before transferring to Florida State this past year. He was a standout at the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl. While the age may cause some GMs to pass, the 6 seasons of experience means this is someone you expect to come in and contribute on Day 1. Maybe not as a starter, but as a solid rotational guy. Fiske is quick off the ball and looks to be a guy that Myles Garrett and Co. would love to have with them chasing down QBs. Check out Braden Fiske’s 2023 highlights here.
2023 stats: 43 tackles | 6 sacks (via ESPN)
The Pick: Round 5, Pick 134 - Zak Zinter, OG Michigan
Why: Over the last few years, the interior offensive line has been one of the strengths of the Cleveland Browns. The aging duo of Joel Bitonio (32) and Wyatt Teller (29) has been great, but also the most expensive guard duo in the league. As the Browns look to get cheaper and younger in that area, adding talent in the draft will be necessary.
Zak Zinter is a great guy to bring in and learn from Bitonio and Teller while they’re both still there. A unanimous All-American, Zinter was the best player on Michigan’s Offensive Line prior to breaking his tibia and fibula against Ohio State in late November. Drafting someone coming off a season-ending injury isn’t always the easiest decision, but that is a big reason why he still may be available this late in the draft. Coming to Cleveland would allow him the opportunity to ease his way back to playing, likely as the third or maybe even fourth man in the rotation behind two of the game’s best. Sadly, Bill Callahan will not be around to assist in Zinter’s development, but having Joel take him under his wing should do the trick.
The Pick: Round 5, Pick 154 - Tyrice Knight, LB UTEP
Why: The Browns have an absolute DAWG at the Linebacker position in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. Those close to me can back me up when I say I was pounding the table for JOK while attending the draft in Cleveland back in 2021. Glad Andrew Berry heard me. Extend him today. That all being said, the rest of the LB room is a question mark going into the 2024 season. Tony Fields has another year left on his contract, but he is mostly a special teamer and deep rotation guy. I could see Sione Takitaki returning. Anthony Walker has given the Browns solid play at the MIKE over the last few years, but injury is a major concern, having each of his last two seasons cut short. The Browns will surely add a few guys in free agency, and I expect them to also use a pick in hopes of developing another player for cheap.
At this point in the draft, most of the plug-and-play, standout LBs will be gone. For that reason, I’d like to take a shot on someone who balled out a smaller school. A four-year starter, Tyrice Knight is athletic and a reliable tackler.
2023 stats: 140 tackles (84 solo) | 4.5 sacks (via ESPN)
The Pick: Round 6, Pick 204 - Chau Smith-Wade, CB Washington State
Why: It wouldn’t be an Andrew Berry draft without drafting a DB. With Denzel Ward and Martin Emerson looking to be one of the better CB duos in the league for years to come, expect the Browns to continue to add depth behind them, especially since the group seems to be a bit injury-prone. Greg Newsome is a solid CB, proving to be able to play inside and out, but he may be traded if the right deal is on the table as the Browns will not be able to pay both GNew and Emerson. If Newsome is moved, Cam Mitchell would be the third CB on the depth chart, and he had an impressive rookie season. But beyond Mitchell, there’s uncertainty.
In multiple games this year, it was obvious that the CBs lower on the depth chart were not guys you want playing meaningful snaps. The Rams game comes to mind right away as we watched Mike Ford have to play many non-special teams reps, and it did not end well. Chau Smith-Wade will likely be a slot/nickel in the NFL which will give the Browns another option on the inside. Another Senior Bowl standout, Smith-Wade had two interceptions in the game, one he returned for 83 yards and nearly scored. Smith-Wade is also a willing tackler, another area that the Browns have struggled with in the DB room in recent years.
The Pick: Round 6, Pick 207 - Anim Dankwah, OT Howard
Why: Dawand Jones appears to be the lone OT on the roster that we can confidently say will be a Brown beyond this next season. Jack Conklin keeps getting injured and I’m sure the Browns would love to unload his contract if the opportunity presented itself. Jed Wills is set to play next season on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract as he works his way back from a season-ending injury. Wills has also been a common target of Browns Twitter, and though he has not been as bad as many make him out to be, he definitely has not lived up to the hype of a #10 overall OT.
Similar to the Knight pick, at this point in the draft, it’s worth looking outside of the big schools, especially for positions like Offensive Tackle. Now, it’s hard to expect any player drafted at this point, especially an OT to become a weekly starter, but Anim Dankwah is a guy that could become a solid rotational guy and one that could fill in for an injured starter and be more than a traffic cone. Dankwah is similar in size to Dawand Jones at 6’8” and 362 pounds, and therefore, would give the Browns another monster at the position that will be difficult for EDGE rushers to get around. He will need some fine-tuning and some time to develop, but this would be a great dart throw at this point in the draft.
The Pick: Round 7, Pick 240 - Cody Schrader, RB Missouri
Why: Our beloved Nick Chubb will hopefully be the starting RB by mid-season next year after going down with a gruesome, season-ending knee injury caused by a reckless Minkah Fitzpatrick hit. Still, the Browns need to continue to try to get younger and cheaper at the position as Chubb is due roughly $12 million in 2024 before a restructure, Jerome Ford has proven to be a solid RB, but not necessarily an RB1, and Kareem Hunt, though we love having him around, is unlikely to be back. Though the Offensive Line play this past season played a factor in the late-season collapse of the run game, it also didn’t help having the backfield being made up of: Jerome Ford, who would dance around in the backfield before trying to turn upfield, Kareem Hunt, who at this point is pretty much a short-yardage specialist, and Pierre Strong, who looked to have a great burst, but would fall down the second he was touched by a defender. That being said, expect the Browns to attack the RB position in both free agency and the draft.
I don’t expect him to make it to this point come April, but it could be the biggest steal of the draft if the Browns were able to snag Cody Schrader here. Schrader has quick feet, is a decisive runner, and is a capable pass catcher. Starting his career at Truman State, Schrader elected to walk on to Missouri in 2022. He would go on to be elected one of the team’s captains for the 2023 season and was key to the Tigers’ success that season. His biggest game came in November 2023 when he ran for over 200 yards and had 116 receiving yards, along with a touchdown as he led the Tigers to a 36-7 victory over then-ranked #17 Tennessee. Schrader and Ford could be a solid, young backfield to get the season started and allow Chubb to take his time getting back, ensuring he is ready for a deep playoff run. Check out Schrader’s 2023 highlights here.
2023 stats: 1,627 YDS | 22 REC | 14 TD (via ESPN)
UDFA Notes
The fun doesn’t stop after round 7. The Browns picked up Safety Ronnie Hickman just a year ago, and though he had a rough playoff debut, he proved to be a solid player who will continue to get playtime in the coming years. Another player I liked last year that the Ravens took a shot on as a UDFA was Keaton Mitchell. Though Mitchell’s season ended early due to injury, he looks to be a player the Browns will have to plan for twice a year going forward. Here are a couple of things that may make sense for the Browns approach to UDFAs in 2024:
Rasheen Ali, RB Marshall
At least for the practice squad, the Browns will want additional depth at RB with Chubb likely to start the year on the PUP list. A shifty RB with great route-running ability, Ali unfortunately suffered a ruptured biceps tendon at the Senior Bowl. He is expected to recover in time for camp, but this could still negatively impact the draft likelihood for a player who was being mocked near the end of the draft. Browns fans would love this signing as Ali is from Shaker Heights.Tight End
I think the Browns could see value in adding a TE UDFA. David Njoku will obviously remain TE1 and Harrison Bryant or another Free Agent will be TE2. With the little usage of Jordan Akins at TE3 this past season, it may make the most sense financially to cut Akins and try to fill that position with a UDFA for 2024.
Of course, draft boards will be looking very different in a month, post-combine. But as for now, I would be more than thrilled if the Browns did something similar to what I did here. Feel free to let me know what you agree and/or disagree with here by tweeting me @iam_wer, and try out PFN’s mock draft simulator for yourself.