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Browns' winners and losers of the 2017 NFL Draft


By: Jeff Risdon | 20 hours ago

The Cleveland Browns roster has taken quite a dramatic turn over the last few days. For some, the 2017 NFL Draft was a big win. Others took a hit in one form or another.

Here are the Browns’ winners and losers from draft weekend

Winner: Myles Garrett

It’s not just that the Texas A&M defensive end is the No. 1 overall pick. Garrett quickly proved himself media savvy and engaging in the introductory press conference and while throwing out the first pitch at Progressive Field. He’s already displaying alpha dog quality without it seeming forced. The Cleveland defense needs that as much as it needs his pass rush.

Losers: propagators of Mitchell Trubisky rumors

Right until the very end, many reporters both local and national continued to promote the potential of Mitchell Trubisky being the pick. Many altered their final mock drafts.

They bought the smoke. Hard. The Browns told everyone they made their decision weeks ago. Aside from that, the choice of Trubisky instead of any other QB flew in the face of all analytical data. Either the reports were naive or complicit tools, and the Browns played them masterfully.

Winner: Gregg Williams

The new defensive coordinator got a perfect weapon for his aggressive scheme with Jabrill Peppers. He coveted the Michigan safety in the pre-draft process and got his man. Williams also scored a great fit up front in third-round pick Larry Ogunjobi, who could start right away at the 3-technique tackle.

In Ogunjobi and fourth-round CB Howard Wilson, Williams gets a chance to cement his status as one of the game’s better defensive teachers. Both are athletic projects who can outperform their draft positions. If they do, Williams will get the credit.


Loser: Cody Parkey

Drafted kickers invariably make the final roster. When the Browns selected Zane Gonzalez in the sixth round, it spelled the inevitable end for incumbent kicker Cody Parkey. There will be a camp battle, but Parkey would have to perform out of his mind to beat out the draftee. He’ll be auditioning for other teams.

Winner: last year’s draft class

The Browns 2017 draft class is quite positionally divergent from the ’16 group. The 2016 haul saw four wideouts and two defensive ends. Those ends, Emmanuel Ogbah and Carl Nassib, get pushed down the depth chart a peg by Myles Garrett but will still play prominent roles. Ogbah should thrive starting opposite a disruptive force like Garrett. Cleveland didn’t draft a wideout in ’17, so the likes of Ricardo Louis, Rashard Higgins and Jordan Payton get another offseason to prove themselves without incoming competition.

Loser: the P.R. department on Saturday

When the Browns drafted Caleb Brantley in the sixth round, it brought massive amounts of negative attention to the team. He’s currently facing charges of assault for hitting a woman which are eerily similar to the one which tarnished Joe Mixon.

Brantley had other flags as well, and they quickly became quite public…

This forced Sashi Brown to uncomfortably answer hard questions and admit the team might realistically cut the sixth-round pick as soon as the coming week. That’s a p.r. nightmare which sullies an otherwise positive weekend.
Winner: DeShone Kizer

The Notre Dame quarterback fell in the draft process, but in Cleveland he winds up in the best possible situation. He gets to learn under coach Hue Jackson, a noted QB developer. Even better, he gets to do so with less pressure upon him. He doesn’t (and won’t) have to start right away, and by being a second-round pick there is significantly less pressure on him with a franchise which has a disastrous history of first-round QBs.

I found it interesting that we didn't take one WR. With that many picks it's pretty tough to do. We must either:

- Think Josh Gordon is returning
- Think last year's rookies will progress
- Think this year's class stinks

Could be some of all three.

That and every year you can find a decent enough receiver on the waiver wire as camp unfolds. I also think the team views njoku and Devalve as players who can play outside and we will probably play in a lot of two TE sets.

There is also the wildcard in Peppers. I wouldn't be surprised to see him on offense with a package of maybe 20 plays in which he would be involved in some fashion.

Yeah, Hue even said it was possible in the introductory presser. He wouldn't just say that IMO. Peppers will be used as a slash type guy

The difference is we picked Brantley in the 6th round and the bengals picked Mixon in the 2nd round.

The Bengals are getting a ton of backlash

https://sports.yahoo.com/news/bengals-ge...00128--nfl.html

or

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/cincin...afts-joe-mixon/

For me, we took a much smaller gamble. And Brown made it clear that Brantley may not even be on the team if things don't go his way with the charges.

The thing is, we got a guy there that was supposed to be a solid day 2 pick if not for the legal issues he brings.

So, one way or the others, we either got a guy that makes sense, or we don't have him at all.

My opinion, FWIW, it was a good risk

Yeah I agree..alot of 6th round picks never make it, they are guys you pray can continue to rotate in or play special teams...Brantley obviously has some character concerns but is easily talented enough to contribute more so than the norm picked that late... I guess we will find out more in the coming weeks...would be really bad if indeed we are forced to cut him this week lol I see why they selected him talent and projections alone...but also see why he indeed may be cut.

I'd like to add one more winner: The 2018 Cleveland Browns' Draft

Two 1st rounders
Three 2nd rounders
One 3rd rounder
Two 4th rounders

Again, we are able to net another first rounder for next year. If Kizer and Cody (again) prove to be bench players, the ammo is there yet again to make a move for a QB in what is widely considered a stronger QB class. And although we punted a pick to next year, we still walked away with three first round selections Thursday night. We can argue what was the better path, staying and 12 or doing what we did, but in terms of who/what "won", next year's draft is in a very, very good position for us.

For once the Browns are unanimous winners rather than losers in the post-draft media frenzy. Makes a welcome change.