Will the Cleveland Browns finally take a linebacker like Junior Colson early in the 2024 NFL draft? Could a name like Malachi Corley help round out their ailing wide receiver room with a talented rookie?
Now that the season has officially come to a close, we turn fully to the offseason with free agency and the 2024 NFL draft next up for the Browns. For the 11-6 Browns, who will look to keep their competitive window open, this means finding ways to improve their wide receiver room, while sprinkling in pieces elsewhere on their roster.
This is their last year without a first round pick, sitting with a second, a third, two fifths, two sixth, and a seventh round pick. This is plenty of ammunition to make some noise, as general Andrew Berry has been able to land talents like Martin Emerson Jr., Alex Wright, Dawand Jones, and more with just middle-round picks.
What can they scratch and claw together here in this seven-round mock draft?
Round 2, Pick 55: LB Junior Colson, Michigan
It is time for the Browns to invest heavily in the linebacker position. Besides, the last linebacker they took in the second round turned out to be a pretty darn good one. They do the same here, landing Michigan‘s Junior Colson to pair with Pro Bowler Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah.
Anthony Walker Jr.’s time in Cleveland will be remembered fondly. He was seen as one of the strongest leaders in the locker room, and fulfilled his duties at MIKE valiantly in his three years with the Browns.
But it is time to move on.
Bringing in the 6-foot-2 and 230-pound Colson to plug and play at MIKE gives the Browns a thumper that resembles the college tape of C.J. Mosely.
He was tied second in the nation for the least amount of missed tackles while racking up nearly 100 total tackles in back-to-back seasons for the national champion-winning Wolverines. Colson is a freak athlete as well who is bound to turn heads in Lucas Oil Stadium when he hits the turf at the combine.
The Browns take him here with pick no. 55.
Round 3, Pick 86: Malachi Corley, Western Kentucky
The worst-kept secret right now is the need for massive upgrades to the wide receiver room in Cleveland. Amari Cooper is now 30 years old and has a massive cap hit, but the Browns cannot afford to part ways due to the talent in the rest of the room.
There are still glimpses of hope for Cedric Tillman despite a rough year learning the playbook after coming from a college program where he did not have to run choice routes. Elijah Moore met expectations but did not exceed them after coming over for the price of a second-for-third round pick swap. Outside of that, there are no signs of life from the rest of the room.
Here, the Browns draft one of the most physical wide receivers with the football in his hands in Western Kentucky’s Malachi Corley. He is known as the “YAC King” for a reason as he is lethal after the catch.
Over the last two years with the Hilltoppers, Corley racked up over 2,200 yards and 22 touchdowns. He has averaged 12 yards per catch as well. He looks to bring explosiveness and an element of lightning in a bottle to Cleveland here.
Round 5, Pick 135: OT Blake Fisher, Notre Dame
Notre Dame offensive tackle Blake Fisher has all of the tools teams will look for in an offensive tackle, but he need a lot of work. He has athleticism, he has length, he has foot speed. But there is a reason he is being mocked in the fifth round.
The Browns have taken risks on offensive linemen in the middle rounds before under Andrew Berry, even last year with Dawand Jones. Fisher is more of a project than Jones, but if new offensive line coach Andy Dickerson can get the most out of him, he fits what the Browns want to do offensively quite well.
Fisher will be freshly 21 years old when he gets drafted, giving any team a young and moldable ball of clay to work with.
Round 5, Pick 156: TE Theo Johnson, Penn State
File this one under “players that won’t be available where mock draft simulators have them coming off the board.” However, he was on the board here, so we take him.
Penn State tight end Theo Johnson is going to cause eyes to roll out of the heads of many at the NFL Scouting Combine. He was under-utilized at Penn State and is going to be a force at the NFL level. He is listed at 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds and is expected to run in the 4.4s in Indianapolis next month.
The Browns, a team that loves to run 12 personnel up there with the Rams and 49ers, will likely be looking for a new tight end as Harrison Bryant hits the market. Pairing Johnson with David Njoku in 12 personnel looks would give them perhaps the most dynamic tight end room in the league.
Again, he won’t be on the board in the fifth round, but I can dream.
Round 6, Pick 206: DT Keith Randolph, Illinois
Illinois’ defense built a reputation in 2022 under now Purdue head coach Ryan Walters. They saw one cornerback go in the top-five and a safety go in the second round a year ago, and will see another defensive tackle go in the first round this year.
One of the more underrated players in this year’s class and on that defense is Keith Randolph. He is physical, heavy-handed, and stout against the run. While his pass rush upside is capped off, Randolph is a hard man to dig out and move off the line of scrimmage.
The Browns only have two defensive tackles under contract, but there is not a ton of worry there. They rebuilt the room with veterans on cheap deals in free agency a year ago, and they’ll likely do the same again this year as they look to bring Maurice Hurst and Shelby Harris back.
Adding Randolph in the sixth round has the potential for a solid contributor at next to no cost.
Round 6, Pick 208: DE Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
The Browns may look for depth on the backend of their defensive end room as Za’Darius Smith will hit the open market. They still have Myles Garrett, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Alex Wright, and Isaiah McGuire in that room, but when it gets to the late round it is more about drafting for upside rather than need.
There was once a time when Zion Tupuola-Fetui was thought of a top-50 pick. However, he has since suffered an ACL injury that forced him back to school. Now an older prospect, the Husky pass rusher is still well worth a late-round dart throw.
In his sixth season with the Huskies, Tupuola-Fetui racked up 3.5 sacks and five tackles for loss.
Round 7, Pick 228: RB Carson Steele, UCLA
There is a strong chance the Browns will opt toward a running back by committee heading into the future as they did in 2023. This will be especially true if Nick Chubb is not at full health by the start of the season.
Want a back who can grind out tough yards and who is a strong receiver out of the backfield? UCLA’s Carson Steele is the man.
A transfer from Ball State after a 1,500-yard season in 2022, Steele joined the committee in Los Angeles, still rushing for 847 yards and six touchdowns on reduced touches. He caught another 17 passes and scored two touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield as well.
In all honesty, the Browns might need to look for a receiver earlier than the seventh round. But there is no doubt they need an upgrade in their running back room. Steele can give you valuable carries.
