Free agency has changed the complexion of the draft somewhat in terms of need, in my view. Tremaine and Allen signing to other teams are two blows to what we were trying to do so I'm thinking QB, CB, WR, & LT, are must haves and Pass Rushing DL, Edge, FS RB, ILB, & OLB would be great to add depending on who is where when we pick. With five picks in the first two rounds, we stand a good chance of filling all of our needs and at least one of our wants with day one starters. If I'm doing the picking I'm going (Assuming they're there:

Darnold - Yes, with time for him to sit, and considering the concussion issue with Rosen I'm going with Sam.

Chubb - If Saquon is there I could be convinced but I'm okay with an RB later. I'd also consider Minkah but FS isn't the great need it was and if we take him he may play corner.

Oliver - If he's there I want to lock in a corner.

DJ Chark - There may be other faster/smaller receivers here, but I like his size and hands.

Kerryon/Sony/Adams - I take the best RB still on the board.

Next I'd be looking for a developmental OT with the notion I will likely be drafting one high next year.

From here on, I'm looking for diamonds in the rough - ILD, OLB, Guard, WR, TE, whoever can help and has a potential future.

However you slice it we come out of the draft with a team who should win some games. Maybe more than we think.

What do you see as our greatest needs now.

1 - QB - it's not even a close second.
2 - CB
3 - Tackle/Guard
4 - Safety
5 - Edge

Touchdowns and Turnovers.

I'd agree with this. Except I'd take away the guard. I don't want Bitonio moving to LT. He's top-notch right where he's at

In no order with exception to the QB spot, but those are my top things to focus highly on too. Hyde with the injury concern maybeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, but I like the category of "would be great to add" there at RB too instead of must have.

QB, LT, CB, WR2, FS

....an "after FA" thread before FA officially opens?

Where are you going o find an LT in this YEARS draft ?? That would be on the board for next season !

I don't know the defensive prospects like I should, but I'm wondering if Roquan Smith might be a consideration at #4 (or with a small trade down.)

Where would he play? There's other impact players that wouldnt take so much playing time from our other players

My thoughts exactly.

We have a ways to go... but RB is still a need.

After signing Tyrod our biggest need is HB. Signing Hyde just made our need at HB even worse...

And before Joe Thomas announces his decision?

Why the Hyde hate?

He got drafted for Harbaugh's O, then played in a different scheme that didn't fit very well, behind an OL that fell apart, on a team with no QB until they traded for JG.

The QB made no difference he still sucked after JG starting winning for them. I want more from a HB than a 58.8 yards per game avg.

I expect you might get it next season. Zeitler and Bitonio opening lanes won't hurt.

And Hyde won't trip over his own feet!!!

3.6 yards per carry and 8 TDs after JG took over.

Your numbers look off to me. I'm only seeing 4 TDs with Jimmy G.

not to mention a game with 25 yards after jimmy was winning

So tell me, what major moves going forward do you see happening that makes this thread invalid or changes the complexion of our needs?

You see us landing another impact WR or CB? Maybe we find our starting LT for the next ten years. There must be a dynamic edge rusher waiting for an offer. I know, we can still sign AJ and there goes the need for a QB.

Did you guys feel the need to be petty and found something to pounce on or were you just bored?

Slim chance. That's why I'd take a swing at a developmental guy and plan on getting one early next year.

They have to at least be thinking about it, but assuming we stay at 4, and are thinking defense I'd guess Minkah or edge.

biggest needs:

QB
LT
RT
CB
WR

I think we'll get one because it's a deep class, I don't know it's a must have, but I can see why you do.

The purpose of FA is to eliminate NEEDS come draft day. That is what we did. Now we get kids with talent. Could be QB, RB whoever. But not for NEED. Only real need we got is LT we'll see I think we got a guy named Hubbard that I'm not familiar with to say one way or another. But there isn't really anyone in the draft, its not a good LT draft.

I like a raw talent:
Chukwuma Okorafor 6-6 320 4.82 Western Michigan SR
He has the skill set for a great LT, do we have the teacher (can we hire Joe Thomas as an Asst. Coach?) but worth a shot to get this kid. He has good feet, needs that aggressiveness as he is a good kid.
jmho

Just seemed a bit funny to use the after when FA hadn't even started. Greatest remaining needs is a solid idea.

I could see Pryor still signing here. Impact would be tied to his ability to be/stay healthy.

Maybe more lockers !

Receiving TDs or do they not count?

Hyde had 16 TDs altogether last year. How many other RBs had that?

The Scoring TDs column is just the Rushing(8) and Receiving TDs (0) columns combined. I think you may have misread something.

He did catch 59 passes last season, but I'm not seeing any TDs. Hyde had 3 Receiving TDs the season before.

For the Browns I believe drafting by need is not the way to go.

It can become a trap. We have to approach this on the basis of improvement.

Get players that improve positions. No matter the position. Is the guy available better that guy we have?

It can get complicated.

But the NFL moto is: get a better player for less

When BPA intersects a real need, great.

Don't reach for need. Get a good player.

the major purpose of FA is to eliminate needs.

LT is not there in this draft so there goes the need thing.

I stand corrected. Thank you.

I think spencer will have to hold the LT spot for another year. Besides he didn't do half bad last year so I don't see it as an urgent need. I mean he aint Joe but then again who is?

QB
LT
CB
WR
RB
LB DEPTH
safety DEPTH
KR/PR

nothing done in FA would stop me from picking BPA as no one that we brought in is not replaceable after one year whether due to contract (1-2 years left - Landry, Randall, Taylor) or minimal cap hit for being cut if they don't work out (CBs, Hyde). What I think it has done is allow us to trade down from 4 if we so desire

Biggest Needs(but not neccessarily how I would draft in order, see BPA comment above)

1. QB
2. LT
3. CB
4. S
5. WR
6. LB
7. RB
8. DT
9. C

Dorsey has done an outstanding job of filling needs on this team and at the same time kept it financially responsible.

Really wanted Johnson or Breeland, but no way am I giving Johnson 15 a year. Don't like what Robinson got either.

Not sure what happened with Breeland, but oh well.

Currie is the bail me out guy. He's a player. Good size at 6 foot. Would LOVE to snag Isaiah Oliver at 33. Another Corner with SIZE and Press Skills.

#1 NEED is still a LONG TERM QB.

Darnold all day.

This entire Secondary is going to be revamped right down to Peppers moving to SS and closer to the LOS.

I'm big time warming to CHUBB at 4.

We can actually field a REAL team. TODAY.

And still go BPA regardless of need.

I really hope we don't burn one of our first 5 picks on an OT. NONE of these guys have the feet to be even 50% of Thomas.

They're all RTs or candidates to move inside.

Even with all our signings, NOTHING should change in the draft.

I'm STILL going;

Darnold
Chubb/Fitz
Oliver
DT/RB/WR
DT/RB/WR

I agree. If we stick at #4, I am starting to like Quinton Nelson.

The guy is 6'5" with 33.5" arms...he might be our answer at LT.

You may very well be correct, but I anticipate a heck of a battle for that spot in TC...

Greatest need (outside of a franchise QB) will be time for all the new faces to assimilate the systems and learning to play together...

Spencer did do a decent job last year. Maybe with more experience and hopefully some coaching from JT he can become a better LT and it won't be a position of need.

Don't count out Hubbard either - Pittburgh loved that kid.

QB
LT
WR
CB
RB
DL


That's how I see it right now. There are a lot of new faces to see actually compete, though. It does seem that we have a real solid plan thus far, of doing everything possible to improve our weaknesses.

We added a QB, RB, WR, blocking TE to help whoever takes over at LT, 2 OL, a FS, 2 CB, and a DL. I suspect that we will add another WR before the draft, as well. That is just astonishing. Of these, Hyde, Taylor, Jarvis Jones, Hubbard, Randal, Carrie, and maybe even Mitchell all stand a better than even chance of starting.

We will have improved all of our trouble spots prior to the draft, and I can't wait to see how we attack things in the 1st 2 rounds.

I think Dorsey has done a decent job of addressing needs before the draft, setting the draft up to acquire talent over filling needs. Beyond getting a long term answer at QB, he can now go BPA. That said, positions I'd like to see improved;

QB
WR
CB
LT

This brings up a good point about reach and need. Say you're picking in the second or third round and your draft board has one player in a position you need ranked within the next 30 players (as you have them ranked) but there are other players in other positions ranked higher. Don't you grab the position you need before you grab someone else? They're ranked relatively close, after all, what is the real difference between a guy you have ranked at 36 and one you have ranked at forty-six? Ranking systems are subjective by their nature. Someone else likely has them ranked differently, and how they actually turn out as a player is a completely different story. So you're likely not going to get a shot at him the next time you pick, and you like the player enough to have him ranked within that particular span. You have to pick based on need, don't you?

I think most teams actually pick need/BPA to a degree. No one wants to be seen as reaching, and it's probably more about BPA (according to their board) the deeper into the draft they go. But as far as the board is concerned, garbage in garbage out. I mean, Kessler in the third? Holy Key-Riste.

I think that's probably true, a team's biggest needs are usually addressed first. Let me define some prospect tiers.

Tier 1, instant starters, high probability of being stars
Tier 2, likely to start sometime in their rookie years, star potential
Tier 3, potential starters, likely role players, high end projects
Tier 4, role players and projects

There are usually between 5-10 tier 1 players per draft. Tier 2 will usually go to the lower part/end of the 2nd round. The rest of the draft is some combination of tier 3 & 4 players with a few sleepers sprinkled in.

I have heard multiple draft experts say Quentin Nelson is the best player in this draft. But he's a guard, and guard's aren't regarded as top of the draft need, so there's a very real possibility this tier 1 player isn't even picked in the top 10. Similarly, QB is generally seen as the most important position on a team. The best QB's in this draft are probably 2nd tier talents, but we could see 4-5 taken in the top 15 picks.

So I agree, especially about your point that starting around the mid 2nd, the difference between the BPA and the best at your position of need is likely not that great. (This is also the range were the best scouts find diamonds.) I think it's at the top of the draft, down to about mid-2 that the difference between BPA and need is most pronounced.

Eo.... his combine numbers don’t match yours, where did you see them?

6-6 320 5.31 40, 19 on the bench, 23 1/2 vert

Don’t know much else about the guy.

Nelson is a OG Peen...there simply are no starting LTs in this draft...several RTs, a couple of raw talents. I like that kid from Western Mich. Big fast n athletic. Still new to Football (soccer kid from Africa). Good feet, 6'6" 320 n ran 4.86, he has good feet but the knock is he's too nice maybe #64.

QB at #1. We got several DBs taking a need into a goo competition. Us not going for Mathieu sort of makes me feel better about the kid we got for Kizer. Of course we got the draft but Im psyched over some competitions we will have at camp.

After the FA, our greatest need is OT. Joe's retirement is going to be painful for the Browns, I fear.

Followed by anywhere in the secondary.

I think so too. They might surprise us and draft out of 4 and then take a LT at 12.

Total WASTE of a pick that high.

I'd be shocked if we have ANY Offensive Lineman not named Nelson in the Top 30.

Dreadful year for OTs.

Agreed. That would be drafting for need, and that is when you reach.

Needs? Good, quality players at all positions. You can never have too much depth.

BPA, all the way!