Recap of the Browns’ 2023 Draft Class

With training camp being right around the corner, I wanted to give a little evaluation of the Browns’ 2023 draft class and what to expect from them going into the new season. With all these players only going into year two, there will be a lot more room for improvement, yet some players presented themselves better than others. Additionally, this Browns front office puts an emphasis on drafting developmental prospects and tailoring them to their needs. Especially given the limited draft capital and cap space, as a consequence of the Deshaun Watson trade, the Browns roster building in the immediate future will heavily rely on their draft picks to perform. With that being said, let’s take a look at the Browns’ 2023 draft class.

Cedric Tillman

	Games	Tgt	Rec	Yds	TD	1st Downs	YAC (YAC/R)	ADOT	Drop%	Int
Stats	14	44	21	224	0	12	88 (4.2)	10.6	2.3	5
Rank (37 Rookies)	T22nd	15th	T17th	20th	T22nd	T15th	18th (*not qualified)	**11th	*not qualified	36th

Strengths and Weaknesses

With minimal playing time in the first seven games of the season, Tillman’s role expanded following the Browns’ trade of Donovan Peoples-Jones to the Lions. Tillman’s knack for snatching balls out of the air and completing catches through contact, was consistently evident on his tape. There were several occasions of him catching passes with his arms extended and defenders hanging on his back. Moreover, his large catch radius enables him to adjust to slightly inaccurate throws in traffic effortlessly. Tillman’s big frame helps him to fight through contact and create separation with subtle push-offs at the top of routes. Though he lacks some explosiveness accelerating out of breaks, Tillman’s ability to throttle down and turn on a dime is impressive, especially for a player of his size. Additionally, on those stop-and-turn routes, he consistently worked back to the quarterback, minimizing the defender’s chances to disrupt passes.

The most glaring concern with Tillman lies in the amount of interceptions he was responsible for last season. Among the 37 rookie receivers, only Jordan Addison caused more interceptions, although Addison also received more than double the targets. Too often, Tillman ran a different route than his quarterback anticipated, leading to turnovers and a loss of trust. While navigating through a rookie season with five different quarterbacks certainly doesn’t help with building chemistry, it would be worrying to see this trend persisting into 2024. Another area demanding Tillman’s attention is his ability to stay in bounds on sideline catches, which led to missed opportunities on contested targets in the past. While Tillman is fast enough to stack corners on the outside, he doesn’t frighten defensive backs with his speed. Additionally, Tillman wasn’t consistently producing after the catch, yet he can occasionally make defenders miss or run through smaller cornerbacks.

Role going forward

Similar to players like Mike Williams or Courtland Sutton, I could see Tillman becoming a dangerous threat on back-shoulder throws. Additionally, he serves as a sure-handed short-to-intermediate target in the middle of the field, remaining somewhat versatile. We saw DPJ thrive in a similar role in 2022, and I believe Tillman possesses greater talent than him. Developing timing on back-shoulder throws would also help to compensate for his slight lack of top speed. Defensive backs would be compelled to also defend against those throws, rather than simply staying on top of him. Facing the challenge of being the fifth option in the passing game behind Cooper, Njoku, Jeudy and Moore, Tillman will have to earn himself targets. Nevertheless, as the highest pick from the 2023 draft class, I believe he remains a significant part of the Browns’ long-term vision for the receiver position, provided he can show progress this year.

Siaki Ika

	Games	Sacks	Pressures	Combined Tackles	Missed Tackles (%)
Stats	4	0	1	0	2 (100%)
Rank (22 Rookies)	T20th	T14th	T16th	22nd	T13th (*not qualified)

Strengths and Weaknesses

Ika was mostly inactive throughout the season, but got the opportunity to make an impression, following Maurice Hurst’s injury. The aspect of Ika’s game that stands out the most is the unwavering effort he shows on the field. With active hands, he relentlessly pursues the ball until the whistle blows, even trying to chase down players to the sideline (at 335 lbs.!). Though his hand placement is rather inconsistent, he flashes impressive strength while shedding blocks, provided he establishes a solid base. Even when he’s not pressuring the quarterback directly, Ika still tries to disrupt passing lanes by raising his hands. Additionally, Ika consistently plays with his head up and his eyes fixed on the ball, demonstrating commendable awareness. Notably, Ika’s imposing size alone demands occasional extra attention from opponents, resulting in double teams and opportunities for his teammates.

Watching Ika’s tape, one cannot help but notice the ridiculous amount of times he finds himself on the ground. His movements often appear uncontrolled, and he’s extremely susceptible to being thrown off balance even by chipping tight ends. This becomes particularly concerning when considering Ika’s primary role as a run-stuffing nose tackle. Even in one-on-one matchups, Ika struggles to consistently overpower opponents, diminishing the number of double teams he could potentially draw. When facing double teams, he struggles to anchor down, consistently getting pushed around or ending up on the ground. Ika’s tendency to play with high pad level, coupled with his shorter arms, frequently puts him in hopeless positions against opposing offensive linemen. Moreover, his arm length restrains his ability to make plays on ball carriers when engaged in blocks. Lacking lateral movement skills and sufficient explosiveness, his impact is limited to early downs and short yardage situations.

Role going forward

In Dalvin Tomlinson the Browns already have a highly capable nose tackle, making Ika’s role somewhat redundant. While Ika’s workload included far too little playing time for a meaningful evaluation, it seems that the Browns are at least thinking about moving on from him. This offseason, Cleveland added Quinton Jefferson, Michael Hall, and Jowon Briggs to an already deep defensive tackle room, with only Jordan Elliott leaving in free agency. Considering that the roster typically features just five defensive tackles, this front office will face some tough decisions. However, given Andrew Berry’s tendency to view the Browns’ draft picks as long-term investments, it would be very unusual for him to let a player from the 2023 draft class go this quickly. Nevertheless, Ika will have to make considerable strides in his second year to get on the field.

Dawand Jones

Strengths and Weaknesses

Due to Jack Conklin’s injury, Dawand Jones was the Browns’ starting right tackle for the majority of the 2023 season. Physically speaking, Jones is a freak among freaks at 6’8” and 374 pounds with a wingspan of nearly 88″. He compensates any lack of explosiveness with his remarkably long arms, consistently gaining leverage against defensive linemen. However, his athleticism should not be underestimated, especially his surprisingly nimble footwork, likely a result of his basketball background. Jones’ wing span poses a significant challenge for defenders executing pass rush moves, as they struggle to get close enough to him. In his first career start against T.J. Watt in week 2, Jones held up impressively well for a rookie, even winning a few one-on-one matchups. Considering his impressive performance as a rookie, I’d argue he currently makes the strongest case for the best pick from the Browns’ 2023 draft class.

Jones encountered significant challenges when facing speed rushes, as defenders attempted to run around him instead of engaging directly. Especially bendier edge rushers were able to get past him consistently, forcing the quarterback to step up in the pocket. These difficulties often led Jones to overset, making himself susceptible to inside counters and spin moves. Despite noticeable improvement in those areas over the season, they remained a weakness in his game. When defenders were able to get their hands in Jones’ chest, his top-heavy build made it easier to disrupt his balance. Although his length provided advantages in pass protection, Jones struggled to get underneath defenders and sustain blocks on run plays. While he demonstrated effectiveness as a head-on run blocker, Jones especially struggled to hold up on move blocks. Additionally, he had trouble working up to the second level consistently, as he moves somewhat clumsy in open space.

Role going Forward

Considering Jack Conklin’s contract, which the Browns could potentially get out of as early as 2025, Dawand Jones is a compelling long-term option at right tackle, a role that currently resembles his most natural fit. Given Jones’ inconsistency against speed rushers, deploying him on the right side increases the quarterback’s chances of managing pressures. However, it may be enticing to make him drop some weight and convert to left tackle as a potential successor to Jedrick Wills. Jones has prior experience at left tackle, having played the position during his first two years at Ohio State. With Wills and Conklin expected to remain on the roster in 2024, cross-training Jones would also allow him to get on the field in the case of either starter going down. Regardless of his eventual role, Jones stands out as the most valuable selection from this draft class for now.

Isaiah McGuire

	Games	Sacks	Pressures	Combined Tackles	Missed Tackles (%)
Stats	4	1	3	6	0 (0%)
Rank (35 Rookies)	T31st	T13th	T15th	T21st	T1st (*not qualified)

Strengths and Weaknesses

As the fifth defensive end on the depth chart, McGuire had limited opportunities to showcase his talents in year one. Possessing a sizable frame with respectable length, he offers inside-outside flexibility on passing downs. Notably, McGuire demonstrated the ability to convert speed to power with a handful of impressive bull rushes. Additionally, he showed flashes of a pass rush plan, executing long-arm and rip moves. Against the run, McGuire often utilized his length and upper body strength to stack and shed blockers, creating opportunities to disrupt plays. McGuire saw a significant increase in playing time during the regular season finale against Cincinnati, as the Browns chose to rest the majority of their starters in preparation for the playoffs. Despite that game not having playoff implications for both teams, McGuire delivered a commendable performance against the Bengals’ first-stringers.

At the top of his rush, McGuire lacks the bend to navigate around offensive tackles regularly. Additionally, his limited lateral movement ability prevents him from consistently threatening with inside counters. While his bull rush can be effective, McGuire often fails to transition into secondary moves when his initial rush stalls. Amidst many great pass rushers, he primarily played an early-down role, limiting his chances to really get after the quarterback. Despite McGuire having several traits of a good run defender, he struggles to read plays in real time. He often was hesitant to identify jet sweeps or option runs, and chose unfavorable pursuit angles when tracking ball carriers. Moreover, he occasionally left his responsibility of setting the edge, allowing running backs to cut back outside for significant gains.

Role going Forward

Similar to Siaki Ika, McGuire’s evaluation remains far from complete due to his minimal playing time in 2023. While he has shown glimpses of promise, McGuire still has a long way to go to establish himself as a reliable rotational player. With the emergence of Alex Wright last season, McGuire faces another uphill battle to earn himself opportunities in 2024. However, at only 23 years old, he still has time to further develop his pass rushing technique and play recognition. Although McGuire might not possess elite potential as a pass rusher, he could become a solid rotational contributor, especially on early downs. At this point it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Browns going into the season with the same five edge rusher as last year.

Dorian Thompson-Robinson

	Games	Att	Cmp	Yds	Int/Att (%)	On Target (%)	Drops (%)	Sacks/Att (%)	Pocket Time	Yds/Scramble
Stats	8 (3 starts)	112	60	440	3.57%	74 (69.8%)	11 (10.4%)	5.36%	2.4 s	7.2
Rank (11 Rookies)	6th	7th	7th	8th	*7th	*7th (*7th)	*4th (*8th)	*2nd	*T7th	3rd

Strengths and Weaknesses

After an impressive preseason in 2023, the Browns promoted DTR to their primary backup quarterback by trading away Josh Dobbs. DTR shares numerous athletic similarities with Watson, as a slippery runner who can navigate the pocket and create when protection breaks down. Additionally, he consistently kept his head up when scrambling, preferring to pass the ball rather than taking off running. Many of DTR’s best throws came on curl routes across the middle where he was presented with a stationary target. On those specific routes, DTR often demonstrated decisiveness and the ability to play in rhythm. Although, he only logged significant snaps in three games, his development was evident. Especially noteworthy were the game-winning field goal drive against the Steelers in week 11 and his final drive before getting injured against the Broncos in week 12. Both drives featured impressive throws and proved that DTR belongs in the NFL.

DTR exhibited a tendency to be predetermined, often staring down his first read and forcing throws into tight windows. Even when his first read was open, he occasionally hesitated to throw the ball, resulting in limited opportunities after the catch or outright incompletions. Particularly on routes requiering DTR to hit receivers in stride, he displayed inaccuracies that often put the ball in danger. Following the Ravens game, deep passes were largely removed from the gameplan for DTR due to inaccuracies. This adjustment resulted in cornerbacks being less worried about getting beat deep and breaking on routes more frequently. Many of these accuracy issues could stem from his inconsistent footwork, making it difficult to precisely replicate throws. Furthermore, in addition to interceptions, DTR struggled with fumbles throughout the season, mishandling hand-offs or simply losing grip on the ball.

Role going forward

Given the multitude of injuries Cleveland faced at the quarterback position last year, it made sense to add depth through free agency. By signing Jameis Winston, the Browns already secured their backup for this season, setting up a competition between DTR and Tyler Huntley for QB3. However, it’s unlikely the Browns will retain more than three quarterbacks on the roster, requiring a decision between the two. While Huntley is more experienced, keeping DTR would provide long-term value, especially considering the financial flexibility his rookie deal provides. As the third quarterback, he could benefit from a year of learning behind two seasoned vets in practice. Despite having a hard time adjusting to NFL talent in his first year, which was true to some degree for every player from the Browns’ 2023 draft class, DTR possesses qualities that would make him a valuable backup to Deshaun Watson in the future.

Cameron Mitchell

	Games	Int	Completion %	TDs allowed	Defensive ADOT	Combined Tackles	Missed Tackles (%)
Stats	13	0	69.2%	1	5.6	18	6 (25%)
Rank (43 Rookies)	T22nd	T15th	*19th	*T1st	*2nd lowest	23rd	T35th (** not qualified)

Strengths and Weaknesses

Due to some minor injuries at the cornerback position, Cameron Mitchell had the opportunity to showcase his talents last year. He made some impactful plays throughout the season, most notably a 4th down stop against the Bears in week 15 that initiated a 4th quarter comeback. Mitchell primarily lined up in the slot where he utilized his quick trigger and change of direction to defend passes over the middle of the field. Additionally, he was somewhat effective against the run and as a blitzer, which are essential traits for a slot cornerback. Occasionally, Mitchell got some snaps on the outside, yet those mostly came late in games when the defensive focus was to prevent big plays. Despite his quick trigger, he still mostly remained disciplined in his coverage assignments and rarely caused broken coverages. In addition to his defensive contributions, Mitchell was a significant special teams contributor.

In contrast to the impactful plays highlighted in his strengths, Mitchell’s tape also included some missed opportunities. He had multiple chances at interceptions yet failed to secure any. The most notable instance occurred late in the third quarter against Seattle when a pass was thrown right into Mitchell’s chest with only green grass ahead, yet he couldn’t hold on to it. Given his frame and slight lack of long speed, Mitchell tends to struggle in man coverage, particularly when pressing receivers. These limitations might restrict Mitchell from playing on the outside consistently. Additionally, he tends to overstate his leverage, which, combined with his lack of recovery speed, can lead to poor losses in man coverage. In zone coverage, Mitchell can be overly focused on reading the quarterback’s eyes, sometimes neglecting players in his zone. However, as he enters year two, many of these weaknesses could improve with experience and confidence.

Role Going Forward

With the starting cornerbacks set for at least the next two years, Mitchell doesn’t have a clear path to work his way up the depth chart. Nevertheless, he is an excellent option as the fourth corner, considering Newsome’s inside/outside flexibility. However, I wouldn’t expect him to become an option on the outside, especially not in the man-heavy scheme of Jim Schwartz. The Browns drafted Myles Harden, another slot corner with a similar player profile to Mitchell. While it might be possible to keep both players on the roster, I don’t see Harden challenging Mitchell for his spot any time soon. With Newsome and Ward both being somewhat injury-prone, Mitchell will likely get an opportunity for defensive snaps again this year. Given his special teams contributions in addition to providing cornerback depth, Mitchell definitely won’t have to worry about his roster spot.

Luke Wypler

Strengths and Weaknesses

Completing the Browns’ 2023 draft class is the former Buckeye Luke Wypler. He barely saw meaningful playing time in his rookie year, with only one start in the regular season finale. While Wypler played at both guard and center, he seems to be a much more natural fit in the middle. Although slightly undersized, Wypler compensates with explosiveness and strong mental processing, allowing him to gain leverage on defenders. He plays his best football when he’s on the move, either as a puller or when climbing to the second level of the defense. Wypler possesses quick feet to mirror defensive lineman and more often than not holds up well against finesse moves.

On the other hand, Wypler can struggle against bull rushes and lacks a strong anchor. On tough reach blocks, he misses some core and upper-body strength needed to effectively seal off lanes against defensive linemen. Additionally, he doesn’t generate much pushback in head-on blocking situations, which could explain why Cleveland focused on getting him on the move. As a center, Wypler would be better protected in these areas of weakness while still being able to emphasize his strengths as a move blocker. This is why I believe he might not quite have the positional flexibility the Browns envision for him.

Role Going Forward

With Nick Harris leaving in free agency, Wypler should seamlessly transition into the backup center role. Additionally, given his physical similarities to Harris, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him line up at fullback in a few heavy personnel sets throughout the year. However, considering the diversity in Kevin Stefanski’s running game, Wypler might not be as consistently effective at center as someone like Ethan Pocic, especially when blocking head-on. Nevertheless, this evaluation is based on only one NFL game that featured mostly backups for Cleveland, so there is still a lot of uncertainty about Wypler’s future in the NFL.

Conclusion

Given the Browns had very limited capital to spend on their 2023 draft class, the expectations weren’t franchise-altering. Nevertheless, headlined by Dawand Jones, there are players with the potential to develop into contributors or even starters over time. Additionally, Cleveland traded down from the second round to acquire Elijah Moore from the Jets, who showed flashes as a complementary piece as well. Considering the cap space and draft capital invested in Deshaun Watson, having players who can significantly contribute while on rookie deals would be a great relief for this front office. As I’ve mentioned many times, the evaluation of the Browns’ 2023 draft class is far from over. However, several players flashed great potential in 2023, and I’m really excited to see what they can do in year two!