Round 1 of the NFL Draft has concluded and the Browns made two selections at major positions of need. There was plenty of ways for the team to come up with a wide receiver and a left tackle with those two picks, so here’s my grade for the guys that they ended up with.

Spencer Fano

The Browns get an A- for how they handled this pick. Fano was the guy that they viewed as the best tackle in this draft, and he was the guy that they were going to take at number 6, so they got their favorite player at their biggest position of need while also picking up an extra 3rd round and 5th round pick from the Kansas City Chiefs in the process. Fano was a great player in college but there is some concern about his NFL future due to his arm length. At the combine, he measured in with a 32 inch arm length, and while I do understand why some people would be concerned over that, I don’t think it’s going to be a major problem. If that number was 33 instead of 32 nobody would even be talking about his arm length, and Fano is also an incredibly fast and athletic tackle, which can make it much easier for him to deal with having shorter arms. Even if Fano does struggle at tackle due to the arm length, the team will just kick him inside to play guard, and he is more than capable of becoming a great player there. So while there’s concerns for how he’ll turn out at left tackle specifically, Fano was a very safe pick to be a great offensive lineman for the Browns long term.

KC Concepcion

This pick gets a B+ from me. Concepcion is an incredibly explosive playmaker and a phenomenal route runner who can make anything happen when he gets the ball in his hands. He will almost certainly be used as a slot receiver and a kick returner right away. Despite his incredible playmaking ability, I can’t give this pick an A because of the concern that comes with him. Concepcion had 7 drops in each of his last two seasons in college, and that is something that he will have to improve to be successful in the NFL. A team that already employs Jerry Jeudy adding another player that has drop issues really scares me, because we all know how frustrating watching a receiver drop a wide open pass can be. There are some signs that he has the ability to be a reliable target though, as he was surprisingly good in contested catch opportunities last year. If he is able to fix those concentration drops where he starts thinking about what he’s going to do with the ball before he gets it, then Concepcion is going to be a great player in the NFL.

Names to Watch Tonight

Rounds 2 and 3 of the Draft will happen tonight, and the Browns currently hold the 39th, 70th, and 74th picks tonight. At 39, I would keep an eye on defensive backs, or a double up on receivers. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is a safety that the Browns have reportedly loved in the draft process, and corners like Aveion Terrell, Jermod McCoy and D’Angelo Ponds will also be available. I love Ponds here, as he is a guy that could be an elite slot corner in the NFL, and that position was the weakest link on the Browns defense last year. Denzel Boston is a receiver that many projected them to take at pick 24, and he is still available if the Browns want to completely revamp their receiver room. Guys like Chris Bell, Chris Brazzell, and Germie Bernard are also on the board later if the team prefers them. The third round is a bit harder to predict, but it seems like a good spot for the team to take a tight end tonight. Head coach Todd Monken used two tight end sets a lot in Baltimore with Mark Andrews and Isaiah Likely, and I would assume he’d like to do the same in Cleveland. With the loss of David Njoku this offseason, that second tight end spot is a need. Some guys to watch for are Oscar Delp, Max Klare, and Eli Stowers.

There’s plenty of options for the Browns throughout the rest of the draft, but round 1 was a great start, and if they can keep making smart decisions the rest of the way, this team can finally start trending in the right direction again next season.