Today is the first round of the NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns have a few needs that really stand out on the roster after free agency, and they hold the 6th and 24th overall picks in the first round. Let’s go over who the Browns could be looking at with either of those picks.

Wide Receiver

One of the major positions of need on this roster is receiver. As of right now the Browns wide receiver room includes Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, Isaiah Bond, Malachi Corley and a few others. This is one of the worst units in the entire NFL so taking a receiver at 6 is a very smart option for the team. The three top receiving threats in this class are Jordyn Tyson (brother of Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson), Makai Lemon, and Carnell Tate. Tate was the betting favorite to be taken here for a while, and if they do take a receiver at 6, I’d be shocked if it was either of the other two. Tyson and Lemon come into play if the Browns are able to trade down a few spots. The Cowboys and Chiefs are two teams to keep an eye on here, as they hold the 12th and 9th picks. If Cleveland prefers Tyson or Lemon over Tate, then trading down would allow them to get more draft capital, while also filling a need. If the Browns choose to take an offensive lineman at 6, then the receivers available at 24 will likely be very different. With the 24th pick we would be looking at guys like KC Concepcion, Omar Cooper Jr., or Denzel Boston. Out of this group, Omar Cooper would be the guy I feel most comfortable with them taking.

Left Tackle

The other glaring need that they could fix is left tackle. Andrew Berry brought in four new starters along the rest of the line this offseason with the trade for Tytus Howard, and the signings of Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, and Teven Jenkins. As of right now the betting favorite to be taken 6th overall is Spencer Fano out of Utah. Fano played right tackle last year at Utah, but has shown the ability to play on the left side in his college career. Francis Mauigoa is probably the best available lineman in this class, but he played exclusively at right tackle for Miami, and many teams view him as a guard in the NFL, so I would not expect the Browns to take him tonight. Kadyn Proctor and Monroe Freeling are the two wild cards tonight for the Browns. Freeling is who I view as the best left tackle in this class, but many mock drafts have him outside the top 10. If the Browns feel confident in his ability to be a franchise left tackle, they have to take him at 6, even if it may be viewed as a bit of a reach by some people. Kadyn Proctor is a guy that has been mocked just about everywhere in this first round. He’s the one guy I would be very frustrated with at the 6th pick. Proctor has all of the potential in the world, and is a freak athlete, but his inconsistency at Alabama would have me very concerned about his future. I’m just not comfortable taking a boom or bust player in the top 10. At pick 24, I would be very happy with Proctor, but I don’t see him making it that far down the board. The two guys I’d keep an eye on there are Caleb Lomu and Blake Miller.

Final Thoughts

This is a massive opportunity for the Browns to fix some of the flaws this offense has had for a few years. There’s plenty of talent available at the positions that they need the most, it just comes down to which one they want to upgrade more. If it was up to me I would try to get Monroe Freeling at 6 or trade down a few spots if they think he’d be there at 9 or 12. I do fully expect the Browns to trade down if the opportunity is there, but it all depends on how the board falls in front of them with the elite defensive talent available. If a team takes Jeremiyah Love before the Browns are up, that guarantees that there will be a blue chip defensive player available that teams could be interested in moving up for. There’s plenty of different ways the Browns can attack the draft tonight, and as long as the team is able to find a solution at receiver and left tackle with those two picks, then this first round will be a success.