Browns Combine Takeaways: Positions of Strength and Age Questions

Between press conferences from Cleveland Browns management and the player workouts, the NFL Scouting Combine provided plenty to consider for the upcoming NFL Draft.

Taking a bird's eye view of this draft class, the NFL Scouting Combine crystallized many of the perceptions about the level of talent in various position groups. If the Cleveland Browns continue to look at the draft as a means to add talent, there are some position groups the organization will likely hit and while there are players at weaker position groups that could help the team, it shouldn't come as a major surprise if the Browns don't get to them until they fill out the roster with undrafted rookies.

For months, there have been a contingent almost begging the Browns to take a wide receiver with their top pick, currently sitting 42nd. If the scouting combine showed anything, it's just how middling this group is as a whole. There are some great players, but it was outclassed by the defensive linemen and corners. On talent, there's a more compelling argument to draft a corner with the top pick than receiver.

The saving grace for this receiver class from the perspective of the Browns is this group has a ton of speed, something the organization continues to be focused on adding. And while there were some mediocre workouts turned in by prospects that were relying heavily on the combine to justify their lofty ranking, some players did make the most of the opportunity. Marvin Mims of Oklahoma and Trey Palmer of Nebraska stand out as potential options that could thrive from the slot and put pressure on opposing secondaries down the field.

The fact that Mims and Palmer were so effective only serves to exacerbate how problematic workouts from some of the top prospects were. Players like Tyler Scott of Cincinnati and Jalin Hyatt from Tennessee didn't quite deliver and players that were regarded as late day two or early day three prospects did. All the more reason for the Browns to be patient. Mims has been arguably the most underrated player in this draft class.

The tight end class is far better than the receiver class with one small caveat. While there are seemingly an endless supply of great athletes at that position, a number of them are more suited to play F than Y. The true inline Y tight ends appear poised to come off the board quickly. For the Browns, so much depends on what they want their tight ends to do in their Deshaun Watson-centered offense.

David Njoku can line up inline and play out in space. He's versatile and gives them the flexibility to play emptied out or more condensed. If the Browns want to maintain the ability to play bigger, they may specifically want inline type tight ends to provide a contrast and force the opponent to adjust to them. Or they could just look at F type tight ends as big receivers who can do some blocking in space. It may simply boil down to talent.

It was disappointing how few running backs actually participated in the testing. It continues to be a position group that boasts a ton of talent and the Browns should take advantage. They need to fill out their running back room and look for Nick Chubb's eventual replacement. Even if that doesn't happen for another year or two, they get another weapon that can potentially contribute now, adding another dynamic to the offense.

The offensive line class has talent, but it's the most difficult position to project for the Browns. There's not yet a discernable pattern to hit on as it seems the Browns are relying heavily on offensive line coach Bill Callahan. Jedrick Wills, James Hudson III, Nick Harris and Dawson Deaton, the four players this front office has drafted have little in common.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Browns should take a corner in this class. It's ridiculous how good this group is. Players regarded as mid round prospects like Julius Brents of Kansas State and D.J. Turner of Michigan put together some of the best workouts of the entire weekend. Whether they move up or not, there will be talent for the Browns to take at some point in this class. That could give them a purer slot option to balance out their group. It could also just keep adding strengths and options to a group that is going to have to make decisions in the coming seasons. If the Browns are able to find another corner that follows in the footsteps of Greg Newsome II or Martin Emerson Jr., Denzel Ward's hefty contract could become tradeable in a hurry if he doesn't deliver for example.

Regardless, in an AFC North where the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers have all kinds of depth at wide receiver and a conference filled with potent passing attacks, a team cannot have too much depth.

Conversely, the safety position confirmed that fears this class was underwhelming were justified. There will undoubtedly be some successes in this class, but the talent just isn't there and the Browns simply may not find a situation where the value justifies the pick. They are expected to attack the position in free agency and if they sign more than one, it could be an indication they agree with that assessment.

Linebacker is abysmal. Jack Campbell of Iowa, Trenton Thompson from Clemson, and Daiyan Henley out of Washington State looked outstanding in Indianapolis. showing why they are the top players at the position. The lack of linebackers may have teams chomping at the bit to take these three to avoid missing out. 

After that, most of the players that stand out project to play WILL. That's fine for a number of other teams, but the Browns have Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Tony Fields II who have both played well at points. Unless they move one of them, there's no point in adding more.

Defensive tackle is night and day compared to last year. It's hardly the most talented position in this class, but there are a number of options that could be appealing to the Browns. Part of that is because there are plenty of players of varying shapes and sizes.

It stands to reason the Browns will be aggressive attacking this position in free agency, putting themselves in a position to capitalize on a good opportunity rather than chasing after a need. Some of the day three prospects tested really well like Jalen Redmond of Oklahoma and Moro Ojomo of Texas. The reason they are likely to be available on day three is because they are so raw.

It's going to be interesting to see what happens with Karl Brooks out of Bowling Green. Brooks was dominant in the MAC, but he was not invited to the combine, which suggests the NFL isn't as high as the public on him. Still, he is likely to be the top prospect who wasn't invited. Whether that sees him get selected at the end of day two or become one of the biggest wildcards on day three remains to be seen.

The edge class is outstanding, especially in the first few rounds. The only meaningful way this team is ever gong to land a long term solution across from Myles Garrett is to draft it or trade for it. Either way, the Browns are likely giving up major draft assets. This should be their top priority in this class.

Can Adetomiwa Adebawore of Northwestern play the wide-9? The Browns should probably make that determination since he had one of the best workouts including a 10-yard split that matched Will Anderson of Alabama. The difference is he did it at 282 pounds. He can operate both at the 3 and the 5. If he can also operate out wide, which his athleticism might allow him to do, the Browns would have two giant defensive ends with elite athleticism. For Jim Schwartz, a defensive coordinator who thrives on finding great matchups for his players, that could be a tantalizing prospect.

B.J. Ojulari or LSU and Felix Anudike-Uzomah of Kansas State are two polished pass rushers that could be sitting there for the Browns to take. And with Alex Wright on the roster and perhaps adding another end in free agency, the Browns could draft them and allow them to focus almost entirely on pass rushing early in their career. The Browns pass rush was non-existent outside of Myles Garrett in 2022 and they need to continue to invest there.

Speaking of edge defenders, the Browns continue to be linked to Will McDonald IV of Iowa State, despite the fact he's going to be 24 in June and tested at just 239 pounds. McDonald is almost three years older than Ojulari and he's still 10 pounds lighter. Unless he plans to play at 239, which would be suboptimal, putting up impressive testing numbers loses its luster because it's not who he's going to be in the NFL. It feels like a scam.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry tried to downplay age as a guardrail both at his press availability at the combine as well as on Cleveland Browns Daily. Maybe that's true, but even if it is, the Browns have drafted younger earlier in the draft and haven't drafted anyone older than 22 the first two days of the draft. Why would they then pivot to drafting someone who is only a few months younger than Donovan Peoples-Jones, a player preparing to play his fourth season in the NFL?

The argument typically comes down to this notion that because the Browns are good, they now need rookies to make an impact earlier. That's backwards. If the Browns are good, they should need less impact from rookies. Further, it goes against how the Browns have viewed the draft. Berry even hinted at this in his combine presser.

"...just because a player is older coming out does not necessarily mean they have a lower ceiling and likewise just because a player is younger coming up does not necessarily mean that they have more potential. We really try to make this consideration on an individual basis. Who knows? Maybe that will change this upcoming year.”

What's interesting about this quote is it can also be applied to NFL readiness. The Browns have gotten more immediate impact from some of their youngest prospects the past three years. Unquestionably, much of that is a product of where they were drafted and their talent. However, just in the past two seasons, they have been able to hit the ground running. Greg Newsome II, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Martin Emerson Jr. were all young players who shined early. Donovan Peoples-Jones was drafted in the sixth-round and found ways to contribute as a rookie.

So the argument to draft older is based on the idea that the player taken would be significantly better and reach their peak faster. Who among the players the Browns could take with their first few picks stands so far above the rest it's worth ignoring their age to such a degree? It's certainly not McDonald.