The Cleveland Browns entered the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28 with seven picks over the three-day draft.
Entering the draft, the Browns were primarily looking to upgrade their wide receiver and defensive line groups. Despite that, after trading back from No. 44, the Browns went cornerback with their first pick, taking Mississippi State cornerback Martin Emerson at No. 68 overall in the third round. Shortly thereafter, Cleveland got the edge rusher it badly needed, picking up Alex Wright out of UAB. Late in Round 3, they finally added a receiver in David Bell of Purdue.
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The Browns kicked off Day 3 in fashion, nabbing highly rated defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey of Oklahoma and LSU’s Cade York, the draft’s top-rated kicker, in the fourth round.
In the fifth, they landed running back Jerome Ford of Cincinnati and followed him up with another offensive weapon, Oklahoma wideout Michael Woods II, in the sixth.
Early in Round 7, the Browns added their third former Sooner of the day, picking up edge rusher Isaiah Thomas to further bolster their depth on the defensive line. They finished off their class with Texas Tech interior offensive lineman Dawson Deaton.
Meet their draft selections:
Round 3
No. 68: Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State
How he fits: A big corner with room to grow. The traits are the justification to take Emerson over some of the other cornerbacks available, though there are still some trait-heavy CBs on the board here. Emerson is a 6-1, 200-pound corner with 4.5 speed and good agility — but also 33 1/2-inch arms and an 80-inch wingspan. His length is a real problem and he knows how to use it. Had 11 pass breakups in 11 games during the 2020 season.
Is he fast enough to play outside in man coverage at this level? Would he be better off as a safety or a back-end hybrid of sorts? We’ll see. But an interesting prospect to be sure. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis: Emerson lacks quick-twitch athleticism and functional play strength, but he shows a natural feel for spacing and disruption in zone coverage. He has NFL starting potential, ideally suited in a Cover-2 or Cover-3 scheme.
Zac Jackson’s analysis: Cleveland surprises with Mississippi State cornerback Martin Emerson
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B-minus
No. 78: Alex Wright, Edge, UAB
How he fits: Tall and long. Wright checks in at 6-5, 271 pounds with 34-inch arms and an 82 7/8-inch wingspan. He’s got room to grow, weight and power to add. But his length is impossible to miss and impressive. Played three years at UAB (just 18 starts in college) but finished his final season with seven sacks and 46 tackles in 13 games. Got better every year and could blossom into a big-time find as a pass rusher who can also set the edge. There’s a fair amount of road to travel first, though. — Nick Baumgardner
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Dane Brugler’s analysis: Wright is still a work in progress in several areas, but he has elite length and intriguing movement skills for his size to be disruptive versus both the pass and run. Although health is a concern, he is an ascending edge player with high-ceiling traits.
Zac Jackson’s analysis: Browns add much-needed help to pass-rushing group with Alex Wright
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B
No. 99: David Bell, WR, Purdue
How he fits: The lack of top-end speed and explosion keeps a player like Bell out of the top 50 — or the first round. But make no mistake: As a football player, instinctually and fundamentally, he’s very good. Bell is as good as it gets in this class at working his way back to the football and finding ways to help his quarterback if things get off track. He’s powerful enough to clear space for himself at the line of scrimmage or in the middle of a route. He can set DBs up and make them look foolish. He tracks and adjusts. A great college player, not a great athlete. But most quarterbacks and offensive coordinators will gladly find work for Bell, who just produces.
Kevin Stefanski and company should be no exception. He only played three years at Purdue and managed 232 catches, 2,935 yards and 21 touchdowns. All he did was torment Big Ten secondaries. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis: Bell doesn’t have ideal speed or explosive traits by NFL standards, but he is a productive ball-winner with the body control and toughness that translate to the pro game. He projects as a high-floor, low-ceiling NFL starter.
Scott Dochterman’s analysis: What Purdue WR David Bell brings to the Browns
Zac Jackson’s analysis: Could David Bell end up replacing Jarvis Landry with Browns?
Sheil Kapadia’s grade: B
Round 4
No. 108: Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma
Zac Jackson’s analysis: Winfrey was No. 53 on Dane Brugler’s top 300 prospect list, and that wasn’t the only place he was projected as a second-rounder. The D-line remake continues, and there are snaps to be won immediately.
Dane Brugler’s analysis: Winfrey needs to improve his pad level and play discipline, but his size, energy and the power in his hands help him to terrorize blockers. He has NFL starting-level traits.
He's barking.
"I'm a dawg now. It's overwith. This is how I wake up. I just woke up at 10:30 and I'm juiced. No coffee needed." https://t.co/Tnd7ZF0jUi
— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) April 30, 2022
No. 124: Cade York, K, LSU
Zac Jackson’s analysis: Cade York, the draft’s best kicker. A necessary pick for a team with high expectations.
Cade York, the draft's best kicker@dpbrugler: Over the past 2 seasons, York converted 84.6% of his FG tries, including several high-tension kicks in the SEC. He also has outstanding distance with his leg, connecting on 78.9% (15-for-19) of his career FG attempts beyond 50 yds.
— Zac Jackson (@AkronJackson) April 30, 2022
Round 5
No. 156: Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati
Zac Jackson’s analysis: The Browns’ running back room is too crowded for the team to keep Kareem Hunt (one year left on his contract), D’Ernest Johnson (Browns hold his exclusive rights) and Ford. Perhaps a move involving Johnson has been in the works.
Dane Brugler’s analysis: Ford has room to improve his eyes and timing at the line of scrimmage to be more of a creator, but he has an effective blend of size, strength and speed with upside catching the football. He can provide a punch to an NFL team’s depth chart.
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Round 6
No. 202: Michael Woods II, WR, Oklahoma
Zac Jackson’s analysis: The 6-foot-1 Woods was not on Dane Brugler’s top 300 prospect list. But the Browns certainly need bodies in the wide receiver room, so Woods will have a chance to make the team.
Dane Brugler’s analysis: After three seasons at Arkansas, Woods sought out a more explosive offense and transferred to Oklahoma for the 2021 season. … Woods displays a rangy catch radius and long-striding athleticism but doesn’t have any special qualities to distinguish him on an NFL depth chart.
Round 7
No. 223: Isaiah Thomas, Edge, Oklahoma
Zac Jackson’s analysis: Another edge rusher and another Oklahoma Sooner, the third today. Isaiah Thomas is 6-foot-5, 266 pounds and was No. 153 on Dane Brugler’s list of the top 300 draft prospects.
Dane Brugler’s analysis: Thomas has subpar get-off quickness and finishing skills, but he has NFL-level size, length and strength to be a rotational defensive end in a 4-3 base defense, kicking inside in sub-packages.
No. 246: Dawson Deaton, OL, Texas Tech
Zac Jackson’s analysis: With their ninth and final pick, the Browns take Dawson Deaton, interior offensive lineman, Texas Tech. He faces an uphill battle to make the team, but Andrew Berry’s Browns are always investing in the offensive line.
Dane Brugler’s analysis: Deaton isn’t a drive blocker, and he battles anchor issues, but he is a solid blocker in the run game and in pass protection thanks to his movements, smarts and patience. He can be an NFL backup center in the right situation.
(Photo of Martin Emerson: Austin Perryman / Mississippi State athletics)