Zach Harrison, Tyler Scott among Browns’ possibilities in third round
No first-round pick can take a little bit of the starch out of the run-up to the NFL Draft. That’s a reality the Browns will have lived in three of the five drafts dating back to 2019 thanks to high-profile trades.
The Browns will have to live that reality one more time next year. That’s when the third of the three first-round picks they sent the Houston Texans in exchange for Deshaun Watson in 2022 will be used.
For the second year in a row, though, the Browns won’t pick until the third round due to trades. A year ago, it was a draft-night deal that gave away their second-round pick; this time, it was the trade for Elijah Moore that sent No. 42 overall to the New York Jets.
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“I’d say each year is independent because each draft class is different,” general manager Andrew Berry said at the NFL Owners Meetings last month. “Yeah, we went through an experience last year where we traded out 42 and got 68, took (cornerback Martin Emerson Jr.), and picked up two extra picks. I wouldn’t say that going through that was the reason we did the Elijah Moore trade. We just looked at it as an opportunity that made sense for us.”
Emerson was more than serviceable as a rookie for the Browns. In fact, he appears like he’s maybe one more good year away from becoming a foundational piece if he continues his upward trajectory.
What the Browns want to do now is find another instant contributor with their first pick in the draft, which is No. 74 overall. They acquired that pick from the Jets along with Moore, giving them two third-round picks.
Who could be there when the Browns pick at Nos. 74 and 98? Here’s a look at each pick and five potential players, listed alphabetically, who could be available and on their radar when they get there.