Cleveland Browns Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
After a long and tedious offseason, draft day is finally upon us.
Players from all types of backgrounds and lives will soon see their NFL dreams realized as they hear their names called during the 2016 NFL draft. Gone are the endless mock drafts and ongoing rumor mill.
Now, the talk is over as we get to see many young men's professional dreams realized. That's why the draft is so special every year. It's a culmination of the journey these players and their families have gone through to make it this far.
For the Cleveland Browns, the hope is that kind of joy can soon be felt by one of the best fanbases in all of sports as their team rises from the ashes and become a winning franchise again. This draft will hopefully lay the foundation for that to happen.
This draft tracker will provide analysis and grades for each rookie selection.
Cleveland Browns Picks
1 of 15The Browns are in great position to come out of this draft with several instant-impact players and future stars.
They will look to do so with an NFL-high 12 picks in the draft, including six within the top 100. That kind of ammo is why the future is very bright for this once-proud franchise, so long as it is able to land the players it wants with said selections.
For more information on each Browns draft pick, click through the slides that ensue.
Round 1, Pick 15: Corey Coleman, WR, Baylor
2 of 15The Browns made it clear they wanted to keep moving back and accumulating picks in this draft, and they did just that in Round 1.
Cleveland sent the No. 8 and 176 picks to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for the No. 15 and 76 picks this year. They also got Tennessee's second-round pick in the 2017 NFL draft, per the Browns' official Twitter.
Though Cleveland ended up moving back all the way to No. 15 after originally holding the No. 2 pick in this draft, it still managed to land a big-time player with it first selection. It came in the form of Baylor Bears wide receiver Corey Coleman.
The 5'11", 194-pound receiver was one of the most dominant receivers in college football over his three-year career in Waco. He opened the 2015 season with 20 touchdown grabs in his first eight games and finished the year with 74 receptions for 1,363 yards and those 20 scores.
However, multiple injuries to Bears quarterbacks led to them utilizing a more run-heavy offense that saw Coleman rarely thrown to as the season wore on. He caught just 13 passes for 134 yards and no scores in his final three games.
Once the regular season ended, Coleman had to undergo hernia surgery and missed his team's bowl game. He later declared for the 2016 NFL draft as a junior, and now he's a Brown.
Not only is Coleman arguably the best receiver prospect in this draft, but he also upgrades what may be the weakest position on Cleveland's roster. Getting that at pick No. 15 isn't too shabby.
Grade: B+
Round 2, Pick No. 32: Emmanuel Ogbah, OLB, Oklahoma State
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After going offense in Round 1, the Browns made it a point to address their next biggest need as soon as Round 2 began.
Holding the first pick of Round 2, the Browns coaches and management had almost 24 hours to mull over whom they would take here. They ended up grabbing arguably the best player on the board in Oklahoma State's Emmanuel Ogbah.
A 6'4", 273-pound defensive end, Ogbah finished his collegiate career with 28 sacks. That shows just how good of an edge-rusher he was, something Cleveland severely lacked in recent years.
Ogbah is easily one of the best pass-rushers in this draft, and getting that at No. 32 is a great value for the Browns. The problem with Ogbah is his technique needs some work for him to be successful against NFL-caliber tackles.
Also, Ogbah played in a Big 12 conference full of offenses geared toward the passing game. That gave him more chances to pick up sacks than a pass-rusher in another conference.
Still, Ogbah was too good to pass up here and has the potential to be a stud pass-rusher for the Browns. This may end up being their best pick of this draft.
Grade: A+
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Round 3, Pick No. 65 Overall: Carl Nassib, DE, Penn State
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The Browns continued to bolster their defense as Round 3 of the NFL draft opened.
With the 65th pick, Cleveland took Penn State Nittany Lions pass-rusher Carl Nassib. Though the Browns had just taken a pass-rusher in Round 2, Nassib was too good of a value to pass on here.
The 6'7", 277-pound Nassib led the nation with 15.5 sacks this past season. He also racked up 19.5 tackles for loss, six forced fumbles and 46 total tackles.
Getting that kind of production in Round 3 makes this a nice pickup for the Browns. It also helps that his expertise is rushing the passer, though it's unclear if he'll play defensive end or outside linebacker in Cleveland's 3-4 defense.
Whatever he plays, Nassib is bound to make a big impact for a Browns defense severely lacking in the pass-rushing department.
Grade: A-
Round 3, Pick No. 76: Shon Coleman, OL, Auburn
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The Browns came into this draft lacking depth at just about every spot on their offensive line.
Though they waited until Round 3 to draft a lineman, they still managed to land a solid one. It came in the form of Auburn Tigers tackle Shon Coleman.
A 6'5", 307-pound mauler, Coleman was one of the SEC's better tackles this past season. He consistently went out and locked down guys while playing in Auburn's high-tempo offense, which pushes linemen to their limits in terms of conditioning.
But Coleman held up and had a great junior season, which led to a lot of buzz he was going to be drafted higher than this. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein gave Coleman a 5.84 grade and called him a Round 2 prospect.
To get that kind of talent in the middle of Round 3 is why this is yet another solid pickup for the Browns.
Grade: A-
Round 3, Pick No. 93: Cody Kessler, QB, USC
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The Browns finally got their quarterback in Round 3, though it wasn't a name many expected.
With guys such as Michigan State's Connor Cook and Mississippi State's Dak Prescott still on the board, Cleveland instead went with USC's Cody Kessler. He may not have gotten as much hype as those other guys, but Kessler was quietly one of college football's more productive quarterbacks during his career.
The 6'1", 220-pound Kessler was a three-year starter at USC, throwing for 10,339 yards and 88 touchdowns versus 19 interceptions in his career. This past season with the Trojans, Kessler threw for 3,536 yards, 29 touchdowns and seven picks.
Kessler isn't the kind of day-one starter we all thought Cleveland would try to get in this draft, but he is a quality prospect who could develop into a starter eventually.
Grade: B
Round 4, Pick No. 99: Joe Schobert, LB, Wisconsin
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The Browns kicked off Day 3 of the draft by adding another linebacker to their ranks.
It came in the form of Wisconsin Badgers linebacker Joe Schobert. Though Cleveland has already addressed outside linebacker, it needed to add one on the inside for Ray Horton's 3-4 defense.
Schobert may play inside in the NFL, though he does a lot of damage on the outside. The 6'1", 244-pounder racked up 76 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks last year.
For his efforts, Schobert was named a Second-Team All-American by USA Today. Though he was projected to be a fourth-round pick, this was a great selection for the Browns as they continue to upgrade their pass rush.
It's hard to find linebackers who had that kind of production in a Power Five conference on Day 3. The Browns did just by choosing a quality player in Schobert.
Grade: B+
Round 4, Pick No. 114: Ricardo Louis, WR, Auburn
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The Browns continued their fourth-round run by adding another talented pass-catcher.
With the 114th pick, they took Auburn Tigers receiver Ricardo Louis. He was not expected to be picked this soon, but he could contribute this year to the Browns.
Louis was a quality pass-catcher this past season, despite the Tigers having issues and frequent changes at quarterback throughout the year. He still managed to catch 46 passes for 716 yards (15.6 average) and three scores.
At the combine, Louis recorded the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash time at 4.43 seconds. He did well in several events there and really boosted his stock with his performance, which may explain why he went a little sooner than some anticipated.
While Louis is a decent prospect, there were far better receivers still on the board at this point who could have impacted the Browns in more ways than Louis will.
Grade: C-
Round 4, Pick No. 129: Derrick Kindred, S, TCU
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Even though the Browns had made a host of draft selections at this point, they had still yet to address their safety situation.
That explains why they took one of the best safeties on the board here in TCU's Derrick Kindred. He's been a stud for a Horned Frogs defense that's been among the nation's best during his college career.
This past season, the 5'10", 210-pound Kindred racked up 86 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. As a junior in 2014, he registered 75 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions.
Kindred is a hard-hitting defensive back with good ball skills who can play either safety spot for the Browns. Still, this was a bit of a reach; Kindred was expected to go later, but you can't complain too much this late in the draft.
It also helps that Kindred does give Cleveland some much-needed depth at safety.
Grade: C+
Round 4, Pick No. 138: Seth Devalve, WR/TE, Princeton
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The Browns were expected to take multiple pass-catchers in this draft, but it came as a surprise that they took three.
The third came toward the end of Round 4 in the form of Princeton Tigers pass-catcher Seth Devalve. Though he was not expected to be drafted this year, you have to think the Browns saw something they really liked in this Ivy League product.
This past season, Devalve caught 33 passes for 337 yards and one touchdown, despite missing essentially four games due to injury, per the school's website. He finished his career ranked 10th all-time in school history in catches (122) and 13th in receiving yards (1,336).
No matter how you spin this pick, it looks like a reach. No one has a draftable grade on Devalve, and there were still some talented receivers on the board here. He may play tight end in the NFL.
Grade: D-
Round 5, Pick No. 154: Jordan Payton, WR, UCLA
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The Browns continued their assault on the wide receiver position by taking yet another one on Day 3.
But this one was well worth it, as they nabbed UCLA Bruins star Jordan Payton with the 154th pick. The 6'1", 207-pound stud had 75 receptions for 1,068 yards and four touchdowns in 2015.
Payton also became the school's all-time reception leader and first to go over 200 catches (201) for his career.
CBS Sports had Payton rated as a Round 3-4 prospect. That shows just how good of a value pick he was at this point.
Even though the Browns had already drafted several receivers, Payton is someone Cleveland was right to draft. He should make the 53-man roster as a rookie.
Grade: A
Round 5, Pick No. 168: Spencer Drango, OL, Baylor
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The Baylor-to-Cleveland pipeline continues for the Browns as they've drafted yet another Bear.
This time, it's Baylor offensive lineman Spencer Drango. He's been a mauler along the Bears' offensive line throughout his college career, something Cleveland needs.
Drango was a two-time consensus All-American and was twice honored as Big 12 Offensive Lineman of Year, per the school's official website. The concern with Drango and why he's still on the board is his lack of ideal NFL size (6'6", 315 lbs) and strength to keep playing at tackle, or if he'll need to kick inside to guard.
Either way, he'll probably be a project who needs a year or two to develop into a solid lineman for the Browns. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein called Drango a Round 4 prospect, so getting him this late was great value.
Grade: B+
Round 5, Pick No. 172: Rashard Higgins, WR, Colorado State
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The Browns clearly aren't high on their current crop of wide receivers.
That's about the only way to explain them taking as many receivers as they have in this draft. Then again, you can't argue with the value they've gotten in the last two receivers they've drafted, the latest being Colorado State's Rashard Higgins.
The 6'1", 196-pound Higgins was quietly one of the better receivers in college football over the past two years. This past season, he caught 74 passes for 1,061 yards (14.3 average) and eight touchdowns.
But his best season came as a junior when Higgins caught 96 balls for 1,750 yards (18.2 average) and 17 scores. He's a dynamic playmaker who can come in and make an impact as a rookie.
CBS Sports' Dane Brugler was a big fan of this pick and called it a steal at this point in the draft. I too thought this was a nice steal as Cleveland landed yet another quality receiver who should make the 53-man roster.
Grade: A
Round 5, Pick No. 173: Trey Caldwell, CB, Louisiana-Monroe
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It took a while, but the Browns finally addressed their cornerback situation.
That happened in Round 5 and came in the form of Louisiana-Monroe's Trey Caldwell. A 5'9", 186-pound corner, Caldwell registered 143 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions in four college seasons.
His size is why he's not getting more NFL buzz, as most expected him to go undrafted. While this was an area Cleveland needed to address, it waited too long to do so and still reached for a guy in Round 5 who was projected to go undrafted.
Still, he may make the Browns' final roster just because there's very little competition for him right now.
Grade: C-
Round 7, Pick No. 250: Scooby Wright III, LB, Arizona
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The Browns wrapped up a successful draft with one final selection toward the end of Round 7.
With the 250th pick and fourth-to-last selection, Cleveland took Arizona linebacker Scooby Wright III. This was easily one of the bigger steals of this draft, as few expected Wright to fall this far.
The 6'0", 239-pound 'backer was an All-American as a sophomore in 2014, as he was arguably the best defensive player in college football. He finished with 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and six forced fumbles
For his efforts, Wright won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Lombardi Award and Chuck Bednarik Award, per the school's website. However, injuries plagued Wright in 2015 as he was unable to stay on the field while battling knee issues.
Wright did register 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in his team's 45-37 win over New Mexico in the New Mexico Bowl. After that, he declared for the NFL draft, and he's now the final pick of the Browns' draft.
Again, Wright was supposed to go off the board a lot earlier than this, so he should make an impact as a rookie for any team. He also fills a need at inside linebacker for the Browns, making this perhaps the best pick of Cleveland's draft in terms of value and need.
Grade: A+
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