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I was just sitting here thinking of all the bad drafts we had over the years. Then started thinking about this years class. I think every draftee we got, except Delpit, has played a role for us this year. A few of them at a high level. Berry needs some praise for this class.

The last couple of drafts, actually, have gone surprisingly well, and that is a GIGANTIC part of our ascension.

Terry was thinking about the draft as well


Christmas gift for fans? A good draft from a smart organization – Terry’s Talkin’ Browns
Updated 5:21 AM; Today 5:21 AM


By Terry Pluto, The Plain Dealer
ABOUT THE 2020 DRAFT

Looking at a draft after a single season is often premature – especially when the year isn’t even over.

For example, what can be said about the Browns’ second-round pick? LSU safety Grant Delpit was projected to be a starter this season. He tore an Achilles tendon and is out for the year.

In 2018, it was Austin Corbett – not Nick Chubb – who was the first pick in the second round of the draft by the Browns. Chubb came two selections later.




With the Browns, Corbett was viewed as a bust. He failed at left tackle, and then struggled at guard. Former GM John Dorsey still liked Corbett, but realized the Nevada product had received a no-confidence vote from the 2019 coaching staff.

After playing a grand total of 15 snaps for the Browns, Corbett was traded to the Rams for a 2021 fifth-round pick.

Guess what? Corbett has started the last 21 games at guard for the Rams. He’s not great. Profootballfocus.com (PFF) ranks him No. 11 out of 55 starting guards. You can argue the ratings, but Corbett plays every snap for a good Rams team. He must be respectable.

PFF ranks Browns guards at the top: Wyatt Teller as No. 1 and Joel Bitonio as No. 3.

After 14 games, we can draw some conclusions from the Browns 2020′ draft. At the very least, it is promising.

It began with the “alignment” sought by owner Jimmy Haslam. It was up to Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta to make sure the front office and coaching staff worked together.

That led to the hiring of GM Andrew Berry and coach Kevin Stefanski.

I looked back at the quote sheet after the 2020 draft.

“Andrew and I see things very similarly,” said Stefanski. “When we talk about the draft, we have some cultural non-negotiables and some schematic non-negotiables...we all knew where we stood on a bunch of issues.”


Stefanski and Berry set up the “tough, smart, accountable” mantra for the players. They wanted to get away from some of the character risks taken by previous regimes.

In terms of scheme, the Browns looked for players who fit Stefanski’s play-action, zone-blocking scheme. That requires players who have football smarts, because there is a lot of pre-snap movement involved.

On draft day, Berry said the Browns had 140 names “we thought appropriately fit what we were looking for within the Browns organization: talent, scheme, character, mental, you name it. We select from a menu of players we think would be good Cleveland Browns.”

They ended up with six names.

Cleveland Browns vs. Baltimore Ravens, September 13, 2020
Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Jedrick Wills (71) blocks Baltimore Ravens linebacker Tyus Bowser to protect Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield in the first half, September 13, 2020, at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore.John Kuntz, cleveland.com


THEY COULDN’T AFFORD A MISS

The Browns went into the draft needing a left tackle. There were four at the top of the class.

The Browns took a gamble on Jedrick Wills Jr., believing the star right tackle at Alabama could learn to play the more demanding left tackle spot in the NFL. Wills didn’t even play left tackle in high school.

This was a collaborative decision. The analytics, intelligence tests and pure scouting rated Wills in the elite category. But could he make the switch in the NFL? The final vote went to Bill Callahan, the veteran offensive line coach who gave Wills the two thumbs up.

“The best player available on our board happened to be in a position of real need,” DePodesta said on draft night. “That’s doesn’t happen every year. We were thrilled to get Jedrick.”

I heard the Browns rated the top four tackles in this order: 1) Wills. 2) Tristan Wirfs. 3) Mehki Becton. 4) Andrew Thomas.

Wirfs has had a good year for Tampa Bay, but he has played right tackle. Thomas has struggled. Becton is talented, but has had some injuries.

As for Wills, Profootballfocus wrote: “He has been a rock for the Browns for most of the season protecting Baker Mayfield’s blind side...a huge upgrade at one of the most important positions in their offense.”


Cleveland Browns trianing camp, August 25, 2020
Cleveland Browns linebacker Jacob Phillips (50) during practice on August 25, 2020Matt Starkey, Cleveland Browns

HARD TO KNOW




Second-rounder Delpit is injured.

Third-rounder Jordan Elliott (88th pick) has shown some promise as a defensive tackle. He has played 30% of the snaps. Next year, Elliott could be important if Larry Ogunjobi leaves via free agency. So far, the Browns have not been able to reach a contract extension with Ogunjobi.

The Browns were very excited to grab Jacob Phillips (97th pick) late in the third round. They went into training camp believing Phillips could even become a starter.

But the linebacker hurt his knee. He tried to come back a few times, but played only 41 snaps in the first 11 games. He sat out seven of those games. Finally healthy, Phillips played a season-high 22 snaps in the 20-6 victory over the Giants.

“He did a great job,” said defensive coordinator Joe Woods on Thursday. “He is a see-ball, get-ball guy. When the lights come on, he plays with his hair on fire...He is just going to get better with each rep he takes.”

Keep in mind that only about 20% of all third-round picks become regular NFL starters.

Cleveland Browns vs. Jacksonville Jaguars, November 29, 2020
Cleveland Browns tight end Harrison Bryant gestures for a touchdown as officials review the play. Joshua Gunter, cleveland.com


NEVER HAVE ENOUGH TIGHT ENDS

The Browns had a third-round grade on Harrison Bryant. They didn’t intend to draft a tight end. But when Bryant fell to them in the fourth round (115th), they quickly called his name. The Florida Atlantic product was the John Mackey Award winner as college football’s top tight end.

Some fans may remember Bryant’s two fumbles this season. Both were costly. But the coaches are high on Bryant, who has played 57% of the snaps this season. That is far more than veteran tight end David Njoku (36%).

Bryant came into the NFL with questions about his blocking, but that has proven to be a pleasant surprise. Bryant has caught 21 passes, including three for TDs. He is important in Stefanski’s tight-end-heavy offense.




Cleveland Browns vs. New York Giants, December 20, 2020
Cleveland Browns center Nick Harris gets playing time after the injury to offensive guard Chris Hubbard in the first half, December 20, 2020, at MetLife Stadium.John Kuntz, cleveland.com

THE CENTER CAN GUARD

Just as the Browns didn’t enter the draft looking for a center, they were thrilled to pick Washington’s Nick Harris in the fifth round (160th). Like Bryant, they had a higher round grade on Harris than where he dropped in the draft.




Stefanski on Harris on draft day: “There is some position flexibility with Nick. He is a talented player, a very obvious schematic fit with his movement skills...I like the make-up of the person. Once we get our hands on him and teach him the system, we’ll see exactly where he fits – center or guard.”

Veteran center J.C. Tretter has stayed healthy. But Harris was pressed into action at guard last week when Wyatt Teller and Chris Hubbard were both hurt. He did an excellent job. He had not played a single offense snap all season until the Giants game.

Cleveland Browns vs. Tennessee Titans, December 6, 2020
Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield does a jig for his receiver wide receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones (left photo) and becomes a runway photographer for the touchdown celebration of receiver Rashard Higgins (right) in the first half.John Kuntz, cleveland.com




YOU CAN LIKE THIS MICHIGAN GUY

In the sixth round (187th), the Browns selected Donovan Peoples-Jones. He had an inconsistent career as a receiver at Michigan.

With the Browns, he has been on special teams. A season-ending injury to Odell Beckham Jr. has led to playing time for Peoples-Jones.

He’s made two huge TD catches among his 13 receptions. He also has returned kicks and punts.

The coaches have raved about his intelligence, his work ethic and willingness to learn a variety of positions. He has played 60% of the snaps in the last three games, catching eight passes.

He appears to be a big bargain in the sixth round.




It’s hard to know if players such as Phillips, Elliott, Bryant, Harris and Peoples-Jones will develop into long-term starters. But as rookies, they have been able to help as role players.



https://www.cleveland.com/browns/2020/12...kin-browns.html

GC.
Good teams, (in general should), only get 2, 2 and a half, up to 4 people out of any one draft.

Every person a team drafts is not supposed to make the team every year! Unless the team really really sucks at the start, like an expansion team.

A team that has talent, isn't supposed to take every rookie. Rookies don't win super Bowls, teams do, teams with a mix.

We've been trying to build through the draft since we've come back. Problem? the people we had running those drafts couldn't evaluate talent very well. It started with John Dorsey, you have to give him a lot of credit, and continued with Andrew Berry.

I think part of the problem as well is our talent level has been so bad for so long, that we've had to press a lot of rookies into action before they are ready.

They understandably look bad, we have a regime change, and they get replaced before they can even develop. I'm looking at guys like Nassib, Jabaal Sheard, etc.

Nice thing about the team winning now, people have time to come in and learn their role. There aren't huge expectations for them to turn around the team. Look at how the rookies have benefited from that this year.

Andrew Berry should definitely get some props for not jettisoning everyone who wasn't one of "his guys." Definitely helped that he had been here before and helped bring all lot of them in.

I was going to say the exact same thing. On many of our bad teams of the past a Nick Harris type of player is forced into playing time much earlier than expected. In 2020 he got to sit until week 15.

I can’t help but think that Delpit would make our defense (and chances to win the division) much better. I’m really hoping he can return

Possibly but many of our #1 picks did next to nothing for us and when we traded them away or released them did nothing for their new teams. Warren, Green, Richardson, Gilbert, Manziel, Faine, Mingo, Corey Coleman, Phil Taylor even Winslow and Edwards never lived up to their draft hype. There are more I'm sure just can't think of them now. Oh, Danny Shelton, Cam Erving. The list goes on and on. These were #1's that should have contributed right away.

Most of the guys on that list should never have been drafted in the 1st Rd.

Edited: That was to Homewood's last post.

Just one.

Most of those guys had 1st round grades. Maybe not Coleman and Faine. I even read at the time where some people did think Taylor was a lower 1st round talent. Even Faine was considered the best C in that draft IIRC. It doesn't mean that he should have been drafted in the 1st round but he was. I'd like to add Kameron Wimbley was another 1st rounder that did nothing for us or anyone else for that matter. Failure after 1st round failure. That's the difference between now and then.

If you can get the lines right, then a number of things can improve. S o we help a lot of issues with good line drafts. Running the ball successfully beats scheme requirements, position needs, and others, We are running successfully and the line is getting tougher. Not sexy draft, but accept no substitutes!

Coleman by most accounts was the top rated WR in that draft.

At least in the top three... and all three were busts.

Just remember, it's easy to pick players in a re-draft.

Who fails at that?

Exactly. That's why everyone that hangs the Coleman pick on the FO as them being clueless looks ridiculous... their pick (especially if you read this board) was just as bad.

To be fair, most peeps wanted either Carson Wentz or Joey Bosa (but that was before the trade down).
Once we traded down, there wasn't much immediate discussion.
I do recall a lot of us were table-slamming for Jaylon Smith or Myles Jack in the 2nd when he fell due to injury (I think it was injury, right?).
Personally, I was in the Myles Jack group and didn't much care for Smith as I thought he was under-sized.

Coleman was absolutely the #1 rated WR by PFF that year.

Ancient history.

We don't make a seven figure salary to figure it out the first time.