Sixth-round pick Nathaniel Watson, a linebacker and special teams ace from Mississippi State, could make the most immediate impact among Browns rookie draft choices. But opportunity may call anyone to an unexpected role.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
One thing we learned from the Browns in 2023 was that anything can happen.
In May, who could have foreseen Joe Flacco rescuing the season with four 300-yard passing games in December?
With Geron Christian and James Hudson the starting offensive tackles?
Who could have foreseen undrafted rookie Ronnie Hickman starting at safety and scoring a Pick 6 in the playoff-clinching win against the Jets?
So it’s not where you start a season on an NFL roster that’s important. What matters is where you’re at in December.
With that in mind, the Browns’ draft class of 2024 may not enter the team’s rookie camp this weekend with high expectations, but opportunity could call any of them to prominent roles by season’s end.
Here is a look at each draft pick’s starting point and projected early role in their entry season in the NFL with the Browns.
First pick: Defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr., second round, 54th overall
Hall was attractive to the Browns and coordinator Jim Schwartz because of his quick release off the snap of the ball and ability to get up the field and pressure the quarterback.
Among defensive tackles, they had him ranked behind only Byron Murphy of Texas, who was taken 16th overall by Seattle, and Jer’Zhan Newton of Illinois, who was taken 36th overall by Washington. If Hall were not on the board at No. 54, the Browns had a trade down they were satisfied with. They would not have taken another defensive tackle with their first pick.
The Browns based their opinion on Hall mostly on their evaluation of him as a pass rusher. Ohio State used him also as a nose tackle and the Browns don’t intend to do that.
In a slight change of scheme this year, the Browns will employ their tackles at nose and 3-technique. The nose lines up in the gap between center and guard. The 3-technique lines up in the gap between the other side guard and tackle. He’s the better pass rusher of the two tackles. This is where Hall will play.
Hall will be third in the rotation at this position behind Quinton Jefferson and Maurice Hurst. The nose tackles will be Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris and Siaki Ika.
GM Andrew Berry understands that defensive tackle is a position of not immediate impact for rookies. Whether Hall is active on game days as part of the 3-technique rotation early in the season depends on his performance in training camp. Keep in mind the Browns often move Za’Darius Smith or Myles Garrett – even Ogbo Okonokwo – inside in obvious pass rush situations.
If opportunity doesn’t call on Hall in 2024, the Browns hope he will develop under Schwartz and be poised to challenge for the starting 3-technique spot in 2025, as Jefferson and Hurst are both playing on one-year contracts.
Second pick: Guard Zak Zinter, third round, 85th overall
A broken left leg in two places in the Ohio State game in November made Zinter out of sight/out of mind among mock draft enthusiasts. He probably would have gone earlier without the leg injury, but a glut of offensive tackles pushed down the pure guards like Zinter well into the second round.
Although Zinter likely will be cross-trained at left guard and center – like any guard -- make no mistake about his future position. He started 42 games for Jim Harbaugh at Michigan at right guard. He was good there and there only. Think Wyatt Teller.
Zinter’s lack of versatility at Michigan puts him way behind interior swingmen Michael Dunn, Luke Wypler and Germain Ifedi in his first training camp.
To say that Zinter is the heir-apparent to All-Pro left guard Joel Bitonio, 32, is a reach. More likely, if he develops, Zinter could be Teller’s replacement if the Browns decide Teller becomes too expensive in 2025 ($12.8 million salary, $21.9 million cap charge).
Third pick: Wide receiver Jamari Thrash, fifth round, 156th overall
In 2022, Berry used the 156th overall pick on running back Jerome Ford. As a rookie, Ford took over as the Browns’ No. 1 kickoff returner. In his second season, Ford replaced the injured Nick Chubb as the No. 1 running back and totaled 813 rushing yards.
I wouldn’t expect Thrash to follow that growth chart at receiver.
First off, in four seasons at Georgia State and one at Louisville, Thrash only played gunner on punt coverage on special teams. He is not a returner and may not be physical enough to even get reps at gunner in the NFL.
As a receiver, Thrash will get reps behind Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, David Bell, Michael Woods, James Proche and Jaelon Darden.
I thought the Browns should draft a receiver to be good enough for No. 4 on their depth chart because the fourth receiver should get significant reps due to the team’s infatuation with a standard, three-receiver offensive set. But the Browns see Tillman as a potential significant contributor in that role in 2024. And Bell certainly would be a prime competitor for that slot, also.
I view the selection of Thrash as Berry taking another stab at a receiver after failing to make room for one in his early picks.
Fourth pick: Linebacker Nathaniel Watson, sixth round, 206th overall.
Watson may see more time as a rookie than any of the draft picks.
A tackle machine at Mississippi State and SEC defensive player-of-the-year in 2023, Watson would figure to be an instant contributor as a core player on special teams and reserve at middle linebacker.
On draft day, Berry compared him to Sione Takitaki – a linebacker stout in the middle of the defense with special teams exuberance.
Other than Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and newcomer Jordan Hicks, the Browns’ linebacker room essentially is a collection of special teams aces.
Fifth pick: Defensive back Myles Harden, seventh round, 227th overall
Schwartz wants press-man cornerbacks. At South Dakota, Harden, a no-star recruit, was a four-year starter in a zone-heavy defensive scheme.
He could be groomed as a nickel cornerback with the ability to flex to free safety.
Sixth pick: Defensive tackle Jowon Briggs, seventh round, 243rd overall
Briggs is a squatty, 310-pounder with some quickness off the snap of the ball and strength at the point of attack.
Cincinnati head coach Scott Satterfield said Briggs “carries himself like a pro … has an outstanding work ethic, and was a great leader for us.”
Briggs will be 24 at season’s start and has three kids.