The Cleveland Browns are still likely to have several moves before the NFL draft but draft preparations are still ongoing while those moves are being worked on. A Baker Mayfield trade seems like the biggest move left to make but the team also could be looking to fill more needs in free agency including the possible return of Jarvis Landry and Jadeveon Clowney.
The Browns have cap space to work with and will get more if/when they trade Mayfield. They also will reap the cap benefits of the Austin Hooper release come June 1st.
The team gave up a fifth-round pick for Amari Cooper (and swapped sixth-round picks as well). With the trade for Deshaun Watson finalized, with last-minute changes where the team gave up an extra pick, Cleveland has the following draft picks in the upcoming 2022 NFL draft:
- #44 – Second Round
- #78 – Third Round
- #99 – Third Round
- #118 – Fourth Round
- #202 – Sixth Round – From Dallas
- #223 – Seventh Round – From Detroit
With the release of Hooper, the Browns could be targeting a tight end with one of those picks. While there are some concerns about the class, Jalen Wydermyer is a player that could intrigue teams. According to Aaron Wilson, Cleveland met with Wydermyer prior to his pro day at Texas A&M.
Wydermyer didn’t excel at the pro day with a pedestrian 5.03 40-yard dash time.
The 6’5″, 255-pound tight end put up good numbers during his three years in college. He caught 40 or more passes the last two seasons for over 500 yards each year. He had 16 touchdowns throughout his college career.
With David Njoku on the franchise tag, Harrison Bryant is the lone tight end under contract for more than this season. Adding Wydermyer, especially if he drops into the late third or fourth round, could be a good long-term addition for the team.
