CLEVELAND (92.3 The Fan) – There isn’t a team in the NFL that walks away from the draft not feeling like they hit the jackpot, but Andrew Berry and the Browns should feel especially good about what they accomplished Thursday through Saturday.
Head coach Kevin Stefanski said Berry ran it like a seasoned vet, and from the outside looking in, it sure looked like it.
Berry gave Stefanski players that fit and filled holes.
Pro Football Focus gave the Browns an A+ for their class. Here’s our pick by pick analysis and grades.
Round 1, pick No. 10: Jedrick Wills, OT-Alabama
Left tackle was the most glaring need of the offseason remaining and Berry and the Browns weren’t sure if any of the four top tackles on the board would even fall to them, let alone their top graded player at the position. With Tristin Wirfs of Iowa and Louisville’s Mekhi Becton also available, Berry went with Wills. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, Wills allowed just one sack and 3.5 quarterback hurries in 2019 while protecting left-hander Tua Tagovailoa’s blind side. Wills will make the move from right to left tackle under the direction of offensive line coach Bill Callahan, which wasn’t an issue for Berry, who believes the tackle positions are more interchangeable today than in years past. Wills should be able to step in and start immediately.
Round 2, pick No. 44 (via Colts): Grant Delpit, S-LSU
After a slide down three spots in a deal with the Colts that gave Berry a fifth rounder, he grabbed what the Browns believe to be their next impact safety. Delpit was a monster in big moments late in the season for the Tigers on the way to a national championship and he had a strong 2018 campaign as well that was worthy of first round consideration. Concerns over missed tackles dropped his stock in the draft but it stands to reason that playing through a high ankle sprain for a portion of the season affected him. It also shows his toughness, which won him points with the Browns. He also doesn’t lack confidence either. If Joe Woods doesn’t decide to play him in Ashtabula, Delpit should be able to contribute from day one.
Round 3, pick No. 88 (via Saints): Jordan Elliott, DT-Missouri
Berry believes there’s no such thing as too many interior defensive linemen which explains the selection of Elliott after signing Adrian Clayborn and Andrew Billings in free agency. Elliott, a 2019 second-team All-American and first-team All-SEC selection, recorded 44 tackles last season, including a team-high 8.5 for loss for the Tigers. Berry dropped 14 spots from 74 in a trade with the Saints that allowed him to add a 2021 third rounder. Bonus points for dumping the seventh-round pick, No. 244, on New Orleans too.
Round 3, pick No. 97 (via Texans): Jacob Phillips, LB-LSU
Phillips was the leading tackler for the national champions last season. He started the final two years of the three he spent in Baton Rouge where he totaled 218 tackles, 13.5 of them for a loss, two sacks, six pass breakups, a forced fumble and an interception that he returned for a touchdown – the type of impact playmaking the Browns need. Phillips joins a very young linebacker corps that includes Mack Wilson but he will have an opportunity to contribute quickly.
Round 4, pick 115: Harrison Bryant, TE-FAU
There’s no such thing as too many tight ends for Stefanski and Berry threw his coach another one with the selection of Bryant, who is the first player from a non-power-five conference to win the John Mackey award as the nation’s top tight end. A former offensive lineman in high school that converted to tight end before heading off to college, Bryant checks the blocking box too. Austin Hooper, David Njoku and Bryant should make for a fun group to watch with Baker Mayfield.
Round 5, pick 160 (via Colts): Nick Harris, C-Washington
This was a curious selection considering the Browns just signed J.C. Tretter to a three-year, $32 million extension last November, but Harris, who many scouts feel is undersized at 6-foot-1, has experience at both left and right guard in college prior to starting at center the last two years for the Huskies. Maybe Harris can compete for the right guard spot, but the team feels he’s best suited at center. This was an interior line depth pick that should not be expected to pay immediate dividends.
Round 6, pick No. 187: Donovan Peoples-Jones, WR-Michigan
The Browns needed to come away with someone to put behind Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry this weekend and Peoples-Jones gives them another body at the position. Peoples-Jones is accused of underachieving at Michigan while dealing with underwhelming quarterback play for the three years. While the Browns would like to see him learn to catch the football more consistently, his explosiveness is undeniable. He can make the hard catches look easy and the easy catches look hard. Patience will be a virtue with him but in the sixth round, there’s no problem taking a no risk flyer on a player with potential. Who better for him to learn from than Beckham and Landry, right? If Peoples-Jones can come in and catch footballs and rack up yards receiving and returning, who cares where he went to school. Another box checked by Berry.
Overall class grade: A.