Cornerback was a surprise choice as the Browns' first pick of their 2022 draft. They like Martin Emerson's size and coverage ability. But can he crack the top five on the Browns' cornerback roster?
Takeaways from Rounds 2 and 3 of the Browns draft
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Takeaways from Rounds 2 and 3 of Browns draft …
1. Heading into the draft, I made the case that the strongest and deepest position on the Browns’ roster was cornerback – Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Troy Hill, Greedy Williams and A.J. Green. I felt Green, who was No. 5 on the Browns, was good enough to be No. 3 for division rivals Pittsburgh and Baltimore. So why did the Browns use their first pick of the 2022 draft after a trade-out of the second round on cornerback Martin Emerson of Mississippi State? Glen Cook, VP of player personnel, was the first to speak on the strange move. “You never have enough good players,” Cook said. “We love his length, his size and his ability to press. Like I said, it will give us a ton of multiplicity and versatility on that side of the football, so we are excited.” Later in the evening, GM Andrew Berry said, “I have told you guys before, we do look at it like we have an expansion team and we try to take advantage of the opportunities that are there. Yes, there are preferences maybe going into the weekend where you are like, ‘Hey, it would be great if we could select an individual at this specific position at this specific value,’ but you also can’t force it . We feel like Martin is an excellent prospect for us at a premium position.”
2. After sitting out Round 1 because of the Deshaun Watson trade, the Browns elected to sit out Round 2 when they traded pick No. 44 to the Houston Texans for a pick in the third round and two in the fourth. The move dropped them 24 notches before they took Emerson. Among the players that went off the board in that stretch were receivers John Metchie of Alabama (to Houston), George Pickens of Georgia (to Pittsburgh), Alec Pierce of Cincinnati (to Indianapolis) and Skyy Moore of Western Michigan (to Kansas City); and edge pass rushers Sam Williams of Mississippi (to Dallas) and Drake Jackson of USC (to San Francisco). Why did they trade down and pass on players who seemed to fit high needs? “That decision was made because we did feel like we had a number of players who were graded similarly,” Berry said. “I would say that even in this draft class, we did feel like the sweet spot was more mid-to-late second day and in the middle rounds. It is really just how the board felt at some of the different spots that we were targeting. We felt good about the value and adding to the volume picks that we would have this weekend.”
3. The selection of edge rusher Alex Wright of UAB in the third round supplemented veteran free-agent acquisitions Chase Winovich, Stephen Weatherley and Isaac Rochelle. Do the Browns think they have a starter at left end among this group? “When are we playing our next game?” quipped coach Kevin Stefanski. “I think we have a bunch of players there. We are going to constantly add and constantly churn this roster like we always do, but I think we have a lot of players who we like. How it all shakes out for Week 1, I do not know that for right now, but I think we are adding players who we like.” There’s also the possibility the Browns still can bring back free agent Jadeveon Clowney. Berry dodged a question on how the draft would affect a decision on Clowney. “Any veteran additions would really be independent questions for us,” Berry said.
4. While it would be a stretch to suggest Wright is a possible replacement for Clowney, it’s not the same stretch to imagine David Bell, the third-round pick from Purdue, replacing unsigned free agent Jarvis Landry on the roster. Bell, 6-1 and 212 pounds, out-voted Ohio State’s Garrett Wilson and Chris Olave as Big Ten wide receiver of the year in 2021 after 93 catches for 1,286 yards and 5 TDs. Bell fell in the draft because of a 4.65 40 time at the Combine, but he makes up for a lack of burner speed with sure and strong hands and savvy route-running. Bell didn’t play in the slot at Purdue, but the Browns plan to train him for that role in their offense. “We think he can play inside and out,” Berry said. “Just because a player does not play inside or does not play outside, it really is more projecting forward, we think he has the physical characteristics and quite honestly the mental acumen where he can use it effectively.”
5. Berry elaborated on Bell’s lack of on-top speed. “Look, everybody loves speed across the field, but there are also fast guys that really don’t have the route running ability to actually separate; they can run really fast, but everyone is pretty fast in the NFL,” Berry said. “There are also receivers that are bigger body types that have the ability to separate laterally or have the savviness to win at the top of the routes. I think good receivers come in different shapes and sizes, and although David may not be the fastest player in the NFL, I think he has a number of compensating factors that will allow him to produce.” It sounded like Berry was inadvertently describing the difference between Bell and Olympic-class speedster Anthony Schwartz, last year’s third-round pick from Auburn.
