Browns receive mid-level grades for 2024 draft class

GM Andrew Berry had his eye on developmental players, which did not exactly impress NFL media members.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry took a measured approach to the 2024 NFL Draft.

Without a first-round selection for the third consecutive year as part of the trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, which was finally marked “paid in full” this weekend, Berry opted to look to the future while making six selections:

• Ohio State DT Michael Hall Jr. (No. 54 overall)
• Michigan OG Zak Zinter (No. 85)
• Louisville WR Jamari Thrash (No. 156)
• Mississippi State LB Nathaniel Watson (No. 206)
• South Dakota DB Myles Harden (No. 227)
• Cincinnati DT Jowon Briggs (No. 243)

The class appears to be short on impact players but long on potential, as Berry explained on Saturday (quote via a team-provided transcript):

“We look at it, these are not finished products. Some of them are very young. Obviously, Mike (Hall Jr.) is 20 years old. So these guys, these people are developing off the field. Obviously, we’re going to spend a lot of time with them on the field to develop them and their skill set. But that’s a huge, we talked about it yesterday. That’s a huge part of our job as coaches is to get as much out of these players as we can, and we’re eager to get to work with them in a couple weeks.”

It may be a while before anyone knows how well this year’s draft class plays out, but that does stop NFL media from pulling out their grade books as soon as the draft comes to a close. Here is a sampling of some of the grades the Browns received for the 2024 draft.

Mark Maske @ The Washington Post: C-

The Browns didn’t have a first-round pick but did manage to provide some help to their offensive and defensive lines. They took DT Michael Hall Jr. in Round 2 and guard Zak Zinter in Round 3. It’s probably a draft class that won’t have a major impact as the Browns attempt to keep pace in a rugged division.

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Mel Kiper @ ESPN: C+

I’m usually a believer in taking the best prospect available — within reason — at most times. Don’t reach for a need. But when a team doesn’t have a first-round pick, it becomes necessary to make sure it gets a guy who can plug a hole at a priority position. I say all of this because there were several really good running backs and receivers available when the Browns drafted defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. (54). Looking at this roster, I would have gone in a different direction.

Hall’s tape at Ohio State was maddening at times because he didn’t consistently produce. He went a little high based on my rankings. I did like the selection of guard Zak Zinter (85), who will add some youth to Cleveland’s O-line. The Browns finally addressed the wide receiver position in Round 5 with Jamari Thrash (156), who had some issues with concentration drops but was productive in his lone season at Louisville. Nathaniel “Bookie” Watson (206) is a long-armed linebacker with the tenacity to make a team because of his special teams ability.

Cleveland didn’t take a running back, so maybe Nick Chubb will be back healthy to start the season and things will be OK. I would have added some insurance, though, based on the depth of the class.

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Chris Trapasso @ CBS Sports: A-

I hardly noticed the Browns didn’t have a first-round pick in this draft because of the fine job GM Andrew Berry and Co. did. Hall has the goods to eventually become the finest defensive tackle from this class. Oh yeah, Zinter. I didn’t love that pick. He’s very stiff and coming off an injury.

After that, Thrash was spectacular at Louisville at all three levels because of his twitch, route-running nuance, and run-after-the-catch creativity. Watson is a towering off-ball linebacker who rarely misses a tackle in the box, and Harden is a magnificent athlete who can outplay his draft position. Briggs has an athletic frame and penetrating style. Sneaky-good class from Cleveland.

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Chad Reuter @ NFL.com: C+

The Browns’ 2022 trade for Deshaun Watson is still very much a work in progress; the QB’s performance thus far has not provided the team with much of a return on the raft of picks shipped to Houston, including first- and fourth-round picks this year. Hall and Zinter stay in Big Ten Country, with the former Buckeye looking to wreak havoc on the defensive line and Zinter likely to bounce back from injury to be a long-term starter.

Cleveland did not have many Day 3 picks because of past trades, including one this offseason for receiver Jerry Jeudy. Thrash could work himself into the role of a fourth or fifth receiver because of his speed. Nathaniel Watson’s ferocious nature meets a need in the middle of the team’s defense late in the draft, and Harden was one of the steals of the seventh round because of his fierceness and athleticism.

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Trevor Sikkema @ Pro Football Focus: C+

Michael Hall Jr. stays heads up the road to Cleveland as a high-upside interior pass-rusher. He ranks 107th on the PFF big board but finished 2023 with the second-best pass-rush win rate among FBS defensive tackles. He’s a bit undersized and needs some work in the run game, but he could immediately attract blockers away from Myles Garrett and Za’Darius Smith on passing downs.

Zak Zinter suffered a nasty leg injury in Michigan’s final regular-season game, keeping him out of pre-draft workouts. Zinter is a long but stiff guard who offers some solid depth to the Browns’ interior after not allowing a sack on more than 280 pass-blocking snaps in 2023 and recording a positive grade on 15.7% of Michigan’s run plays.

Jamari Thrash forced 17 missed tackles in 2023, which ranked fourth in the ACC. His 1,658 yards after the catch since 2022 is the best mark for all receivers. Nathaniel Watson’s athletic profile won’t blow you away, but he’s a strong linebacker who rarely misses tackles, an often undervalued trait at the position. Watson also steadily improved over his tenure at Mississippi State, finishing with a career-best 73.1 PFF grade in 2023.

Myles Harden Harden was productive in the South Dakota secondary, as he came down with an interception and forced seven incompletions on 45 throws into his coverage in 2023. He also recorded eight stops in coverage, adding another nine on run plays.

Jowon Briggs played somewhat out of position in 2023, lining up over the opposing offensive tackles more than in previous years in his career. He performed far better in 2022 when he was used more in the A- or B-gaps, earning a 77.4 PFF grade.

Photo by Tommy Martino/University of Montana via Getty Images

Danny Kelly @ The Ringer: C+

I loved the Browns second-round selection of defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr., who brings a quick first step and a speed-to-power bullrush to the team’s defensive front. He could end up looking like one of the better value picks from Day 2. The team also got a potential future starter in guard Zak Zinter, and receiver Jamari Thrash should provide depth in the receiver corps.

Ultimately, though, the Browns didn’t have much draft capital to work with this year (having sent their first-rounder to the Texans in the Deshaun Watson trade), so it was always going to be tough to come out of this process with a high grade.

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Vinnie Iyer @ The Sporting News: C

The Browns had limited volume with no first- or fourth-rounder, and for a team trying to compete better in the tough AFC North with Deshaun Watson, this is below average in both quantity and quality. Andrew Berry will need to hope enough was done in free agency for a playoff return with a front-line defense. Harden was their best overall pick late for corner depth.

Rob Maaddi @ The Associated Press: B+

Getting DL Michael Hall Jr. (54) made it worth the wait for the last team to draft. WR Jamari Thrash is a sleeper in the fifth. LB Nathaniel Watson could be a steal in the sixth.

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Have your say, Browns fans! How would you grade Cleveland’s draft class? Let us know in the comments.