NFL Draft Notebook: Browns add explosive DT prospect in 7-round mock, plus NFL Draft predictions

The final edition of the NFL Draft Notebook before the 2024 NFL Draft starts by taking a look at what the Cleveland Browns may do in this year’s draft. While the Browns only have a total of five picks and no selection in the top 50 picks look for them to add several prospects who could become starters during the 2025 season.

In addition to giving our Brown’s seven-round mock draft, we also make several NFL Draft predictions. This includes picking our biggest sleeper of the year, the most overrated player, and our very early pick for Rookie of the Year.

Cleveland Browns 2024 NFL Mock Draft

The Cleveland Browns had one of the best defenses in the NFL last season, leading the league in yards allowed per game. However, both of their starting defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and Shelby Harris are on the wrong side of 30. Due to this, the team will likely look to add a defensive tackle early in the 2024 NFL Draft. Florida State’s Braden Fiske is an explosive pass rusher who wins with his non-stop motor and strong hands.

"Going back over the course of the season, he’s truly one of those guys that creates for people around him. Like, he blows stuff up. He’s super disruptive with his get-off, and then, creates this chaos and then guys clean up around him. Again, usually you see a guy like him, you’re like, ‘Oh, he’s the clean-up guy.’ They’re like, ‘No, he’s actually the guy that they’re cleaning up after.’ So really a cool player."

- Senior Bowl's Jim Nagy on Fiske

Cleveland started their offseason by trading for wide receiver Jerry Jeudy, but look for them to also address this position on draft day. The main reason for this is that Amari Cooper and Elijah Moore are entering the final year of their contracts. Washington’s Ja’Lynn Polk is coming off the best season of his career having had six 100-yard receiving games. If he can cut down on the number of drops he could develop into a player who could take over for Amari Cooper.

The Browns add their second consecutive wide receiver with the selection of Florida State’s Johnny Wilson. Wilson is a giant wide receiver coming in at 6-foot-6 and 237 pounds and should be a good target in the red zone. He would give Cleveland more depth at wide receiver, and could even see some time at tight end.

While Pro Bowl tight end David Njoku is a terrific receiver, the team will likely look to add a blocking tight end. My highest grade tight end when it comes to blocking is Illinois’s Tip Reiman. Reiman is one of the bigger tight ends in the 2024 NFL Draft coming in at 6-foot5 and 271 pounds and also has impressive strength having posted 28 reps on the bench press. On the field, he is an aggressive blocker who does a great job of staying on his blocks.

The Cleveland Browns have taken an offensive lineman in every draft since 2008, and that trend continues this season. Illinois’s Julian Pearl is an athletic offensive tackle who should continue to improve with more refined technique. He could be someone the Browns keep on their practice squad if he doesn’t make the opening day roster.

NFL Draft predictions

Sleeper of the Year: My pick for the biggest sleeper in the 2024 NFL Draft is USC running back MarShawn Lloyd who is my second-rated running back and has a second-round grade on my board. What stands out about Lloyd is his combination of power and speed as a runner. He is a physical back who does a great job of running behind his pads and at 220 pounds is a load to take down. He also moves extremely well for a bigger back showing the ability to make cuts on a dime and impressive footwork overall. Look for Lloyd to make an impact as a rookie despite possibly not being drafted until the third day of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Most overrated: I have a tie for the most overrated player in the 2024 NFL Draft between Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy and Western Michigan defensive end Marshawn Kneeland. McCarty will likely be a top-five pick despite showing erratic accuercey at times and having troubling throwing when under pressure. A day two prospect who I have a sixth-round grade on is Marshawn Kneeland who had average production at Western Michigan and also posted mediocre testing numbers at the NFL Combine including running the 40-yard dash in 4.75 seconds.

"They have explosive playmakers, but chunk plays? J.J. McCarthy ain’t that guy. I don’t know what Harbaugh is talking about. He’s out of his mind. If you’re freakin’ Kyle Shanahan you might like him, but in college football, I don’t know if he’s gonna get the job done."

- An assistant coach via The Athletic

Rookie of the Year: While a lot will depend on where these prospects go, my early pick for 2024 Rookie of the Year is quarterback Caleb Williams. Williams is my highest-rated prospect in the 2024 NFL Draft and will be going to a good situation in Chicago. The Bears already have several playmakers on offense including D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and D'Andre Swift who should help Williams adjust to the NFL.

Player who will fall in the draft: A player who is projected to be a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, but could fall is LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. The reason he could fall in the draft is Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy has a good chance of being drafted ahead of him and NFL Draft inside Tony Pauline says the Patriots prefer McCarthy over Daniels. He is also hurt by the fact the team that drafts him may need to adjust their offense to something similar to what the Baltimore Ravens run for Lamar Jackson since Daniels still has a ways to go as a passer.

Best draft: A team that has done great in the past couple of drafts and has plenty of draft ammunition in the 2024 NFL Draft is the Los Angeles Rams. Last season, the team made the best value pick when they took wide receiver Puka Nacua late in the fifth round. They also got great value with the selections of offensive guard Steve Avila, defensive end Byron Young, and defensive tackle Kobie Turner. This year the team will have a total of 11 picks including having a first-round pick for the first time since 2016.

Worst draft: One of the reasons the New England Patriots have the third pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, and possibly the least amount of talent on their roster is their lack of success in the NFL Draft. Don’t look for that to change this season. They will likely reach for a quarterback in the first round, and if history is any indication look for them to take several players higher than they should on days two and three of the draft.

NFL Draft stats of the week

11: Michigan has the most prospects on my final draft board with 11 players listed.

5: I have five players on my draft board who didn’t play college football in the FBS, My highest-rated small school player is South Dakota State offensive guard Mason McCormick who has a fifth-round grade.

27: The positions with the most players with draftable grades on my board are wide receiver and cornerback both of which have 27 players.

100: Deion Sanders has produced two draft picks in his coaching career a sixth and a seventh-round pick. These players or 100 percent of the draft picks he has produced are still on an NFL team.

2: I will have my second and final mock draft for the 2024 NFL Draft out on Monday, April 22nd.