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3 Players the Browns Need to Avoid With Their First-Round Pick

Max Staley
Grant Delpit is projected to be a late first-round pick.
Grant Delpit is projected to be a late first-round pick. / Don Juan Moore/Getty Images
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Coming off a disappointing 2019 campaign, the Cleveland Browns have once again grabbed headlines thanks to yet another impressive offseason. Armed with one of the most talented rosters in football, Cleveland will have to turn to the 2020 NFL Draft to patch up some remaining holes.

But if this team wants to avoid a repeat of last season, the Browns can't afford to miss with their first-round pick. With that in mind, here are three players the team should avoid at No. 10.

1. Jerry Jeudy

Jerry Jeudy is a tantalizing prospect, but the Browns should look elsewhere at No. 10.
Jerry Jeudy is a tantalizing prospect, but the Browns should look elsewhere at No. 10. / Wesley Hitt/Getty Images

Cleveland could stand to add another wide receiver this offseason, especially given the recent injury to Jarvis Landry. As tempting as it might be to imagine a pass-catching corps comprised of Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Jerry Jeudy and Austin Hooper, the Browns have bigger needs elsewhere. Wide receiver would be little more than a luxury pick in the first round, and that's something Cleveland can't afford to do.

2. Kenneth Murray

Kenneth Murray would fill a position of need for the Browns, but he might not be a top-10 player.
Kenneth Murray would fill a position of need for the Browns, but he might not be a top-10 player. / Brett Deering/Getty Images

On the other side of the ball, Cleveland's most obvious weakness might be at linebacker. The Browns lost Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey in free agency this offseason. For a team that already graded out as the third-worst run defense in the league, per Football Outsiders DVOA metrics, those are two pretty big losses. Unfortunately, none of the linebackers outside of Isaiah Simmons, who will be off the board by No. 10, project to be legitimate top-10 talents in this draft, including Kenneth Murray. He'd help the team, but standing pat and picking him at No. 10 would be a reach.

3. Andrew Thomas

Andrew Thomas might be a reach at No. 10.
Andrew Thomas might be a reach at No. 10. / Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Tackle is still a need for the Browns, even after the addition of Jack Conklin. Andrew Thomas is widely regarded as the fourth-best tackle in the class, but picking at No. 10, one of the top three should still be on the board. Someone like Mekhi Becton or Tristan Wirfs would bring much more upside, and picking Thomas at No. 10 would be a bit of a reach.

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Max Staley is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Max Staley also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username mstaley1212. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.

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