Browns' Top Hypothetical Trades to Make Splash in 2023 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns are not expected to be a player in the first two rounds of the 2023 NFL draft.

Cleveland mortgaged the front end of its draft pool to land Deshaun Watson in a deal with the Houston Texans last offseason.

Kevin Stefanski's team is not scheduled to pick until the No. 74 overall selection, but there is always the chance that a trade could spring them into action earlier than that.

Cleveland has a pair of picks in the third, fourth and fifth rounds to work with. It also has one selection in the sixth and seventh rounds.

The Browns' pool of picks likely means they will not get involved in the first round because that would require a trade of at least three selections.

There is always the chance that the Browns get aggressive in the trade market and move into the back end of the first round if there is a can't miss prospect that falls.

Cleveland's most likely opportunity to make a splash on the draft trade market would come in the second round, where teams may be more willing to deal.

Trade with Carolina to Get into Second Round

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LANDOVER, MD - JANUARY 01: Head coach Kevin Stefanski of the Cleveland Browns looks on against the Washington Commanders during the first half of the game at FedExField on January 1, 2023 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

If the first round is out of the question, the Browns should look to the Carolina Panthers' second-round pick as a chance to move further up the draft order.

Carolina only has six draft picks after it traded up to the No. 1 overall pick with the Chicago Bears.

Six selections is a small amount for a franchise that needs a lot of roster help under first-year head coach Frank Reich.

Carolina could use more volume in its draft pool, and Cleveland could provide that if it wants to surge into the second round.

Cleveland can put together a combination of its third-through-fifth-round picks to satisfy Carolina's needs in a potential trade negotiation.

The Browns' target in this situation would be a player who they graded as a first-round prospect that fell into the second day of the draft.

Of course, Cleveland would have to wait for a few picks in this scenario to make sure that player would be available, but it seems like a logical splash given Carolina's need to add as much young talent as possible.

Projected Trade: Cleveland trades Nos. 74, 111 and 140 picks to Carolina for No. 39 pick.

Trade into Second Round To Get Ahead Of Pittsburgh

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 08: Deshaun Watson #4 of the Cleveland Browns under center Ethan Pocic #55 of the Cleveland Browns in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8, 2022 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

One of the fun scenarios to hypothesize is if the Browns jump ahead of the Pittsburgh Steelers in a trade to get into the second round.

Pittsburgh currently holds the 32nd and 49th overall selections in the second round. There are only 31 first-round picks in 2023 since the Miami Dolphins forfeited their selection.

Cleveland could try to sneak in front of Pittsburgh's second pick in the second round to steal a prospect away from its AFC North rival.

The Washington Commanders, who have the No. 47 pick, are the most logical trade partner in this scenario because they only have eight total draft selections.

The Detroit Lions could also be in play for a trade at No. 48. The Lions have more flexibility in the second round since they also pick at No. 55.

Detroit has five picks in the first three rounds, one in the fifth round and two in the sixth round. It could look to boost its draft pick portfolio with two picks from Cleveland in a potential trade.

The Browns could package one of their picks in the third and fourth rounds to move up to No. 48 if the scenario calls for them to go after a player who they think should have been selected earlier in the draft.

Projected Trade: Cleveland trades Nos. 74 and 126 picks to Detroit for No. 48 pick.

Make Deal with Dallas

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PITTSBURGH, PA - JANUARY 08: Amari Cooper #2 of the Cleveland Browns in action against the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 8, 2022 at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Cleveland can still make a splash by trading into the back part of the second round.

That would still be a jump of over 10 places in the draft order, and it would allow the franchise to minimize the number of picks dealt.

The Dallas Cowboys sit at No. 58, two spots ahead of the Cincinnati Bengals, who are one of two AFC North teams currently scheduled to pick in the second round. The Baltimore Ravens' second-round pick belongs to the Bears.

Dallas only has seven selections in the draft, and it could use a trade to make a two-for-one swap with the Browns.

The Cowboys could move back 16 spots and collect some more draft capital so that they can fill out their expensive roster with younger players.

A trade into the late second round probably makes the most sense for the Browns, if they do move off the No. 74 pick, and they may not have to give up more than two picks in that scenario.

Projected Trade: Cleveland trades Nos. 74 and 111 picks to Dallas for No. 58 pick.