The glamor portion of the NFL draft has come and gone, with the first round in the books and the Cleveland Browns having added tackle Spencer Fano and wide receiver KC Concepcion to the mix. Those players will fill the biggest needs on the roster for the team, but there is still, of course, plenty of work to be done. The Browns now will head into the meat-and-potatoes portion of the draft, seeking to add more depth up and down the roster.
Yes, includes the offensive line. In fact, the line still appears to be a priority despite Cleveland now having brought in four new likely staters, going back to the trade for Tytus Howard before free agency began and careening right through the selection of Fano on Thursday. That’s because, as the Browns have learned, you never finish the season with the same line that you hard to start the season and this team is still badly in need of depth.
Browns ‘May Not Be Done’ With Offensive Linemen in the NFL Draft
In his post-first-round press conference on Friday, general manager Andrew Berry noted that the Browns are still taking a strong look at the draft’s remaining linemen. He will have ammunition for that: Cleveland still has nine picks upcoming over the next two days. Expect at least one, possibly more, to be spent on a lineman.
Said Berry, in taking a view of the line in general after the Fano selection: “I think we are very excited about the players that we’ve brought in as well as the development that’s occurring with existing players. You know, obviously the vets that we acquired, whether it’s via trade or free agency or with a cap cut, we felt like we’ve brought quality production as well as experience to that group. And then obviously with night one adding Spencer, we think that’s a big foundational piece to that position group.
“We’ll see where we go from here. Look, we still have nine more picks, we may not be done with the O-line at that point. And like I said, we’re excited about some of our younger guys that are going to get greater opportunities, but it’s a good start.”
Browns Added 2 Picks by Moving Back
The Browns had nine picks coming into the draft, but were able to pilfer two additional picks–a third-rounder and a fifth-rounder–from the Chiefs in the trade that saw Cleveland move back to No. 9. Berry said he was confident he could make that move because the Commanders at No. 7 and Saints at No. 8 had made recent investments in their lines.
Said Berry: “Moving back three spots and having an idea of where Kansas City was going. We knew we were going to get one of those three guys. We also felt the teams behind us, you know, Washington they extended Tunsil, they drafted Josh Connerly in the first round last year. New Orleans drafted Kelvin Banks, you know, at nine last year and then Fuaga the year before that.
“So we felt pretty comfortable that a tackle wasn’t going to go unless a team traded into it. But if one did, you know, we felt good with the group of players that were in front of us.”
Remaining NFL Draft Prospects: O-Linemen Still Available
As of now, the board still features some promising linemen, though the expectation is that the Browns could go defense in Round 2 and pluck linemen later. But (via Dane Brugler of The Athletic) guards Chase Bisontis (Texas A&M) and Emmanuel Pregnon (Oregon) are expected second-round picks. The top remaining tackles are likely Caleb Tiernan of Northwestern, Travis Burke of Memphis and Markel Bell of Miami, all of whom could land in the third round.
The top center on the board, Jake Slaughter of Florida, is projected as a fourth-rounder.
Here’s how the Browns’ draft board shape up so far:
- Round 1, Pick 9 (from KC): Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
- Round 1, Pick 24: KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M
- Round 2, Pick 39.
- Round 3, Pick 70.
- Round 3, Pick 74 (from KC).
- Round 4, Pick 107.
- Round 5, Pick 141 (from KC).
- Round 5, Pick 146.
- Round 5, Pick 149.
- Round 6, Pick 206.
- Round 7, Pick 248.
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