The deck was stacked against the Cleveland Browns when two of their most significant playmakers, QB Deshaun Watson and RB Nick Chubb, went down for the season with injuries.
On the backs of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett, NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski, and NFL Comeback Player of the Year Joe Flacco, the Browns went 11-5 and made the playoffs.
While Flacco took his talents to Indianapolis this offseason, Watson, Chubb, Garrett, and Stefanski are all back in Cleveland. With a foundation in place, the Browns will have a handful of picks in the 2024 NFL Draft to help improve upon a respectable season.
Full List of Browns Draft Picks by Round in 2024
- Round 2, Pick 54
Mike Hall Jr., DT | Ohio State - Round 3, Pick 85
Zak Zinter, G | Michigan - Round 5, Pick 156 (from ARI through PHI)
Jamari Thrash, WR | Louisville - Round 6, Pick 206 (from BAL)
Nathaniel Watson, LB | Mississippi State - Round 7, Pick 227 (from TEN)
Myles Harden, CB | South Dakota - Round 7, Pick 243
Jowon Briggs, DT | Cincinnati
Who Did the Browns Draft in 2024?
Mike Hall Jr., DT, Round 2, Pick 54
The Browns had to wait until pick 54 to make their first selection of the 2024 NFL Draft and did so by strengthening the interior of their defensive line with Mike Hall Jr. out of Ohio State.
Cleveland had an excellent defense last year and looks to continue that trend by bulking up the middle of their line with the former Buckeye.
Cummings thought he might’ve been a surprise first-round selection, but instead, the Browns grabbed him in the middle of the second to get tremendous value.
KEEP READING: Mike Hall Jr. Scouting Report
“Hall grades out as a fringe top-64 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft, who should command capital in the early-to-mid Day 2 range. There’s a chance Hall ends up as a surprise Round 1 pick in light of his testing, but he still has room to refine his game.”
“The physical tools present the most appeal for Hall. At around 6’3″ and a playing weight of 295 pounds, he’s an extremely dense and well-leveraged lineman with great proportional length, as well as torrid explosiveness and agility off the snap.”
Zak Zinter, G, Round 3, Pick 85
Zak Zinter is one of the most unique prospects in this draft class. A player who’s talent should have had him drafted far earlier if it wasn’t for an unfortunate injury late in the season. Now he heads to Cleveland with a chance to be a key piece in the middle of their offensive line for years to come.
Cummings is high on Zinter and intrigued to see what he may be able to do at the next level.
“Zinter is a starting-caliber offensive lineman in the NFL. While his relatively average athletic ability limits his ceiling at the next level, his good play strength and very good base of fundamentals give him a role in the NFL as a starting-caliber player.”
KEEP READING: Zak Zinter’s Scouting Report
Jamari Thrash, WR, Round 5, Pick 156
The Browns add to their WR room on Day 3 with the selection of Jamari Thrash.
According to Cummings, “Thrash grades out as a fringe top-100 prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft on my board. He’s worthy of mid-to-late Day 2 capital but would be an even better value acquisition early on Day 3.”
Nathaniel Watson, LB, Round 6, Pick 206
The Browns add to the middle of their defense by selecting Nathaniel Watson out of Mississippi State. Watson will figure into special teams early with the hope he can get into the defensive rotation.
Myles Harden, CB, Round 7, Pick 227
With the Browns second-to-last pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, they added a defensive back from South Dakota. Harden will come in and try to make the team on special teams while also trying to fit into the defensive mix as well.
Jowon Briggs, DT, Round 7, Pick 243
With their final pick of the draft, the Browns add a DT who shined at the East-West Shrine Bowl setting up an opportunity for him to find a way to make an early impact in Cleveland with an excellent defense.