The Cleveland Browns entered the Vintage Football League draft with high hopes, but unfortunately, their performance left much to be desired. With the 8th pick in the draft order, they had a chance to make some waves, but their choices left many scratching their heads. The draft grade of D speaks volumes about the lackluster selections made by the Browns. While they did manage to snag Nick Chubb at 22, beating out his ADP of 9, their worst pick of Deshaun Watson at 8, far surpassing his ADP of 91, left everyone wondering what they were thinking.
One thing the Browns did manage to accomplish was drafting a whopping 8 players from the same team. Yes, you heard that right, 8 players from the same team. It's as if they were trying to create their own mini franchise within the Vintage Football League. While it's certainly a unique strategy, it remains to be seen if it will pay off. With a projected finish of 9th place and a projected record of 6-9-0, the Browns seem content with mediocrity. Perhaps they're aiming for the title of 'Most Average Team in the League.' Only time will tell if the Cleveland Browns can live up to their name and bring some excitement to the field.
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ADP Analysis
Bars above zero indicate a pick was selected later than a player's ADP. Bars below zero show players that were taken earlier than their ADP.
Inside the Draft
Player Outlooks
- Round 1, Pick 8 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 93 - 2022 Rank: 170
When Watson returned Week 13 last year, it seemed like he had not played in a season and a half. Among 38 QBs with at least 170 attempts, Watson finished near the bottom with a 68.2 on-target percentage (32nd) and 58.2 completion percentage (36th). He failed to reach 200 passing yards in four of his six games and averaged a meager 6.5 yards per pass attempt (32nd). Watson was especially inefficient throwing deep, completing four of his 17 attempts beyond 20 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. However, he did run for 175 yards, showing promise in that aspect. Watson missed the offseason program last year and was away from the team for three months, which likely contributed to his slower processing and poor performance. This year he'll be better prepared, and he'll also have more weapons following the additions of WRs Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman (Round 3) alongside Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones. The Browns also have RB Nick Chubb and TE David Njoku, not to mention a strong offensive line. With these improvements and adequate practice and training, Watson could return to being a top-10 fantasy quarterback, if not the top-5 QB that he was from 2018-20 in Houston.
- Round 2, Pick 22 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 2396 - 2022 Rank: 42
Chubb is considered by many to be the top runner in the league, regularly topping 5.0 yards per carry despite getting a lot of work in situations where the defense expects a run or only needs to defend the final few yards of the field. On the other hand, Chubb's fantasy output has been somewhat limited by Kareem Hunt playing a lot of snaps and receiving most of Cleveland's RB targets. Although Chubb has been effective with his limited receiving opportunities, he simply hasn't been given the chance to accumulate many targets. The Browns may finally give Chubb more work as a pass catcher now that Hunt is no longer on the team, even if they ultimately settle on Jerome Ford or Demetric Felton as the back of choice for obvious passing situations. Should that happen, Chubb will be positioned for his best fantasy year yet, especially if QB Deshaun Watson regains his Houston form and buoys the entire offense. Chubb is already an annual candidate to lead the league in rushing yards and could now enter the mix to finish first in total yards and/or touchdowns. Even if things don't break in his favor, Chubb should retain his floor as an above-average fantasy starter thanks to both volume and efficiency on the ground.
- Round 3, Pick 36 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 38 - 2022 Rank: 133
Cooper rebounded in 2022 after a slow finish to his three-and-a-half year tenure in Dallas. Despite playing most of the season with mediocre quarterback Jacoby Brissett, the veteran wideout reached career highs with nine touchdowns and 132 targets (tying his previous best), also recording 1,160 yards (his second most). Although Cooper has not quite lived up to his predraft hype as a potential high-end WR1, he has six 1,000-yard campaigns in nine years and has never scored fewer than five touchdowns in a season. Last year he actually had better numbers while playing with Brissett than he had with Deshaun Watson. Granted, four of Watson's six games were home contests in Cleveland during December/January, with wind being a factor in at least three of those. The Browns do have other proven offensive weapons in TE David Njoku and WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, and offseason addition Elijah Moore has ample potential even after a disappointing 2022 in New York. The larger concern is that Watson did not perform at his usual level last year. If that continues into 2023, it'll be hard for Cooper to match his 2022 stats.
- Round 4, Pick 50 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 96 - 2022 Rank: 331
Only 23, Moore has already been on quite a journey in the NFL. The 34th overall pick in 2021 emerged as the Jets' top receiving threat by the second month of his rookie season, averaging 67.4 receiving yards and scoring six touchdowns over a seven-game stretch before a quadriceps injury kept him sidelined for the final five weeks. Moore then struggled last year in his sophomore campaign and eventually was demoted to third on the depth chart, at one point missing a game because of conflict with the coaching staff and his desire to be traded. The Jets acquiesced, though not until the offseason, dealing Moore to Cleveland in March for a Day 2 pick swap. His combination of 4.35 speed and agility could help Deshaun Watson get back on track in his second year with the Browns, but first Moore will need to compete for snaps with Donovan Peoples-Jones, a returning starter whose size/speed combination makes him useful as a deep threat and blocker. Moore reportedly was one of the standouts of Cleveland's offseason program, and he conceivably could finish second or third on the team in targets even if he doesn't play quite as many snaps as fellow WRs Amari Cooper and Peoples-Jones.
- Round 5, Pick 64 - Bye 9
2023 Rank: 209 - 2022 Rank: 190
Peoples-Jones, a 2020 sixth-round pick, progressed from being a part-time deep threat his first two seasons to a regular starter in 2022. In 17 games played last season, he had a receiving line of 61 catches, 839 yards and three touchdowns on 96 targets. Compared to the previous year, Peoples-Jones had 38 more targets but recorded a drop in his average depth of target (aDOT) from 15.4 to 11.7. Furthermore, his yards per catch (YPC) and yards per target (YPT) decreased from 17.6 to 13.8 and 10.3 to 8.7, respectively. However, the Browns swung a trade this offseason for fellow wide receiver Elijah Moore, a 2021 second-round pick who is much smaller than Peoples-Jones at 5-10, 178, but also far more agile and faster (4.35 40). Although it's unclear whether Peoples-Jones and Moore will compete for a starting job or if Moore will be limited to being the No. 3 receiver in the slot, there is tough target competition behind Amari Cooper this year either way. The Browns also added WR Cedric Tillman in the third round to assist QB Deshaun Watson, and they already have a legitimate receiving threat at tight end in David Njoku.
- Round 6, Pick 78 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 90 - 2022 Rank: 217
The Browns' displayed immense confidence in Njoku last offseason when they gave him a franchise tag and then signed him to a four-year extension. It was a bit surprising on the heels of back-to-back years with modest receiving production while sharing snaps with fellow tight end Austin Hooper. But then with Hooper moving to Tennessee last year, Njoku took over a three-down role and was on pace for career highs in nearly every significant receiving category before lower-body injuries cost him three full games and parts of two others in the middle of the year. Njoku nonetheless managed personal bests for receptions (58) and catch rate (72.5 percent) and fell only 11 yards shy (628) of his 2018 total. Njoku turns 27 this summer - he's young for a seventh-year pro - and should have a similarly crucial role in the Browns offense, creating upside for big-time production if Deshaun Watson gets back to his Houston level of play at QB. There's more competition for targets after the Browns added WRs Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman and TE Jordan Akins, but the new additions won't necessarily threaten Njoku's standing as a three-down tight end who rarely leaves the field. A more comfortable Watson could see Njoku score more than last year's four touchdowns.
- Round 7, Pick 92 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 285 - 2022 Rank: 152
A hamstring injury limited Hopkins to five games last year and opened the door for Cameron Dicker to step in as the Chargers' kicker. The Chargers brought both kickers back this summer but ultimately traded Hopkins to Cleveland in late August, giving the veteran a clear path to a Week 1 job. While he doesn't offer great leg strength, Hopkins could pile up volume if the Cleveland offense takes a big step forward in QB Deshaun Watson's second year with the team.
DEF - Round 8, Pick 106 - Bye 5
2023 Rank: 163 - 2022 Rank: 84
In 2022, the Browns' secondary was solid, but their defense struggled significantly against the run. Their fantasy performance was also disappointing, as they ranked 20th with 20 takeaways and 27th with 34 sacks. The Browns have made significant changes in the offseason to improve, however, namely trading for pass rusher Za'Darius Smith and signing DT Dalvin Tomlinson to a large contract. With those two joining DE Myles Garrett up front, the Browns suddenly look strong on paper at all three levels, though it's fair to be skeptical given their track record of underperforming with talented rosters.
- Round 9, Pick 120 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 10, Pick 134 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 11, Pick 148 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 12, Pick 162 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 13, Pick 176 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 14, Pick 190 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 15, Pick 204 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
- Round 16, Pick 218 - Bye
2023 Rank: - - 2022 Rank: -
Team Forecast
Bye Week Points Lost
Each bar represents the total projected season points for each player that's on bye that week. This chart shows any potential bye week issues.
Schedule by Opponent Points
Week-by-week schedule with each opponent's projected season points. This chart shows any difficult or easy stretches in the schedule.
