Prospects the Browns could target in the 2023 NFL Draft to fill their biggest needs

The 2023 NFL Draft is finally here. The Cleveland Browns will have to wait till Friday to make their first pick of the draft, but the team does have eight picks from Rounds 3 through 7. The Browns addressed a lot of their needs in free agency this offseason, but there are still spots on the roster that need more help. On the WFNY BrownsCast draft preview episode, I gave my list of the Browns’ top needs on the roster. I had interior defensive line, edge rusher, offensive tackle, linebacker, and running back as the five biggest needs heading into the draft. Today, we take a look at some of the targets the Browns could take with their picks who could help address the roster’s five biggest needs.

Interior Defensive Line

Moro Ojomo, Texas- Ojomo is extremely explosive off the snap. He wins with quickness, explosion, and speed. He is a disruptor as an interior defensive lineman. He has long arms and is strong at the point of attack. The Texas interior defensive lineman does need to improve his hand technique because he can get stuck on blocks.Zacch Pickens, South Carolina- Pickens has an excellent burst off the line. The South Carolina product shows quickness to penetrate the line, along with the speed and effort to chase the play down the line. He also has a solid build for an edge rusher. He can get out of whack and in bad body positioning sometimes, causing him to be pushed back or lose track of the ball.Kobie Turner, Wake Forest- Turner has a good burst off the line. He is an energizer bunny because he never stops moving. His feet are quick and always moving. He shows short area burst and speed. The lineman gives the effort and has the speed to help chase plays from behind. His plan of attack is non-existent at times. The Wake Forest defensive lineman can be too out of control and get into bad positions, causing him to lose leverage. He also is on the ground far too much.Colby Wooden, Auburn- Wooden uses his hands extremely well to stay free from blocks when blockers approach and try to get a hand on him. He uses his athleticism and hands to quickly avoid blocks and get around the blockers. He is able to play multiple positions on the line. The Auburn product is not overly strong and doesn’t have an elite burst.

Edge Rusher

Isaiah McGuire, Missouri- McGuire is my favorite edge rusher prospect for the Browns in the third round. He has great size and length, along with the athleticism to match. He is extremely strong, utilizing good leverage and long arms to unload heavy punches to blockers. He is quick off the line with the explosive closing speed to win around the edge. He uses his arms to wall off defenders to bend around the edge. He is a complete defender with the ability to affect the run and pass game. He also has numerous pass rush moves to win with on the edge.Nick Hampton, Appalachian State- Hampton is a great athlete with explosive speed and change of direction that can cause havoc on the edge. He can win with numerous moves including speed to power. He has long arms and shows excellent bend on the edge to cut the corner tightly. He is undersized as an edge rusher. As a run defender, he can be a bit too aggressive, overrunning the play.Nick Herbig, Wisconsin- Herbig is one of the most versatile edge rushers in the class with the ability to play in coverage, rush the passer and defend the run. He has great change of direction ability, along with the speed to win on the edge. Though undersized, the Wisconsin product is strong and can stand tall at the point of attack. He has shown nice bend on the edge. Size and length could hamper his future a tad.YaYa Diaby, Louisville- Diaby is one of the freakier athletes in the class. He is built throughout his frame. His base allows him to keep his balance while unloading his power onto blockers. He is quick and can slip through cracks better than most his size. The Louisville edge rusher has the ability to bend around the corner with the hand usage to match. He can work on his pass-rush moves and counters to really unleash his talent.Tuli Tuipulotu, USC- Tuipulotu is another versatile defender. He can play multiple positions on the line and he also has experience dropping into coverage. He is extremely quick and has a good change of direction to penetrate through the line or around the edge. The USC edge rusher can win with numerous pass-rush moves. He also plays with good leverage. He can get in poor positions, causing him to be pushed off his spot or left unbalanced.Zach Harrison, Ohio State- Harrison, a former top-ten high school prospect, may have not had the college career many thought he would have, but he was still productive over multiple seasons at Ohio State. He is an explosive athlete with a really good first step. He has the ideal size and length on the edge with the frame to also move inside if needed. He is strong at the point of attack and he uses his arms well to keep defenders off his body. He shows good arm and hand usage. He is a bit stiff and struggles to change direction, which limits his ability to avoid blocks.Derick Hall, Auburn- Hall has the frame teams dream of on the edge. He has long arms and is extremely strong at the point of attack. He does not often get knocked off his spot, providing a strong edge in the run defense. He wins in pass rush with his strength, speed, and arms. Hall also is versatile with the ability to drop into coverage. He is disciplined on the edge, but far often is too passive. The Auburn edge rusher does not have the explosion or quick twitch to be great as a pass rusher.

Offensive Tackle

Blake Freeland, BYU- Freeland has everything a team wants in a left tackle. He towers at 6-foot-8 with long arms. Even at his size, he is very athletic with the ability to move his feet fluidly. He can unload heavy punches, making him a road grader in the run game. But, he is extremely raw technique-wise. He can stand too tall and lean forward, causing him to lose balance. And, he can overset at times.Wanya Morris, Oklahoma- Morris is an unbelievable athlete with the size, strength, and movement skills teams would love to have protecting the edges. He has good length with fluid feet to move along the arch on the edge and to move downfield in run blocking situations. He can be really nasty in the run game, road grading, and pancaking defenders. The Oklahoma product does have problems with his base, causing him to get off balance at times.Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion- Saldiveri is a very athletic offensive lineman. The Old Dominion lineman has light feet that he can shuffle back and forth no matter the speed he is facing. He plays with a good base and can handle power well. He is a powerful run blocker with a powerful punch in his hands. He has experience playing inside and out, which gives him versatility at the next level. He is a bit inconsistent on his hand placement and targeting, creating times when he can miss or fall off blocks.

Linebacker

Dorian Williams, Tulane- Williams is a physical linebacker who can lay a heavy punch as a tackler and when he engages blockers. He does well to stay clean and fight through blockers to track down the ball. He has excellent speed with the closing speed teams want in their linebacker. He moves well in coverage and has the click-and-close ability to be effective in zone coverage. He is a bit lighter for a linebacker and he can improve his processing.Owen Pappoe, Auburn- Pappoe is another elite-level athlete at the linebacker position. He has explosive closing speed with the ability to run from sideline to sideline to chase down plays. He is a powerful, physical, and secure tackler. He moves extremely well in coverage with the ability to change directions quickly. The Auburn linebacker can get lost in traffic and get stuck on blocks due to his size.Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati- Pace is a Tasmanian Devil on the football field. He hustles every play and has the speed and explosion to complement the hustle very well. He is so quick that it helps him to avoid blockers and to slip through the line to make plays. He is a true sideline to sideline defender. His athletic traits also translate to coverage as he can move in space well. His big weakness is his lack of size, which can cause him to get stuck in traffic and on blocks.DeMarvion Overshown, Texas- Overshown is one of the most explosive and fast linebackers in the draft class. He is a true sideline to sideline linebacker with the closing speed a team wants in their linebacker. He is a good blitzer and pass rusher due to his speed to close the distance. He moves well in coverage with the ability to click and close on a route. The Texas linebacker is a bit slight, so he could have problems in the trenches at the next level.Noah Sewell, Oregon- Sewell is a well-built, physical linebacker who has experience doing a myriad of different roles for the defense. He can survive in the trenches due to his strength and hands. He brings a unique ability to rush the passer as a linebacker with the burst to be a talented blitzer for a defense. The Oregon linebacker has really good speed and explosion to close on a play quickly. He can struggle to quickly change directions, which can limit his level of play in the NFL.

Running Back

Tyjae Spears, Tulane- Spears is a really good athlete with the speed and explosion to make big plays. His best trait is his ability to plant his foot and explode in a different direction in a quick fashion. He is able to change directions in an instant and leave defenders in his dust. He pairs this up with good vision, so when he sees a hole, he quickly hits it. He does have the ability to take lower-body hits and keep upright due to his good balance. He shows solid receiving skills, too. He is small and it limits his ability to power through tackles or fight for more yardage after contact.Tank Bigsby, Auburn- Bigsby has good size, but he pairs it with an elite top-end speed that can make him a home run threat every time he gets the ball. His cutting ability is fun to watch as he can plant and burst into another direction in an instant. He can make numerous defenders miss utilizing his contact balance and speed. He is able to be a receiver out of the backfield. His vision could use some improvement.Kendre Miller, TCU- Miller is a downhill runner with solid size and good athleticism. He can make defenders miss in a number of ways, both with elusiveness and power. His best trait is his balance. He can take on contact and remain upright better than most in the class. He has the home run speed to make big plays for an offense. He is not a great receiver or blocker and his vision can improve, too.Roschon Johnson, Texas- Johnson is a bigger running back with the strength to fight through contact. He always tries to fight forward on his runs. He was stuck as a backup in college, but every chance he saw, he produced. He is very valuable due to his ability to be a receiver out of the backfield and out of wide, along with his ability to be a blocker, both as a lead blocker and as a pass protector. He doesn’t possess the wiggle to make defenders miss.Zach Evans, Ole Miss- Evans has the build and athletic traits teams want in their running backs. He has a great burst that helps him explode through holes and when he gets contacted, he uses his burst and strength to keep moving forward. He also has a mean stiff arm to swat defenders away. He can hit the home run using his top-end speed. He has injury concerns and his ability as a blocker and receiver is not very developed.Chase Brown, Illinois- Brown has excellent feet which drive his whole game. He is a patient runner with excellent vision. He uses his feet and vision to make quick cuts into newly developed holes. He can burst quickly into a hole and has the speed to break big runs. He has the willingness to be a blocker and showed good receiving skills. He is not a powerful back and he does not have the fluidity some other backs have in the class.DeWayne McBride, UAB- McBride has unbelievable contact balance. He is able to brush off tackles and continue to move forward as a runner. Beyond his balance, he also has excellent cutting ability to make defenders miss. He does not lose a lot of speed when making these cuts. He pairs both of these traits with good vision and patience. He doesn’t have great speed, so it limits his home run ability.