You might think this is psychopathic behavior but when it comes to sports I love three things: the NFL, College Football, and the NFL Draft.

Even though it’s September 2nd and the last few years, the NFL Draft hasn’t been as much of a focus for Cleveland Browns fans since they’ve been at least been hanging around playoff contention the last four seasons under Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski.

So to coincide with the opening week of college football, it’s time to start a almost weekly series of articles throughout the season of doing a mock draft and seeing how the board will shift throughout the season and after leading up to next April’s NFL Draft.

I use NFL Mock Draft Database’s Draft Simulator for my mocks because it gives a consensus of all the draft boards on the internet so before you criticize me for drafting a player that you might not think will be on the board, that’s where the players fall currently. It’s still September and these will change over the course of the next seven months.

I also use my friend and colleague Jack Duffin’s Age Guardrails Board because the data and history shows that the Browns trend to not draft certain prospects because of their age or data testing over the course of Berry’s tenure as the general manager.

We don’t have the data testing yet of course because that comes after the college football season during the pre-draft process but Jack has already found a lot of the ages of the prospects currently projected to be in the 2024 NFL Draft.

TRADE!

The Cleveland Browns traded the 49th overall pick to the Detroit Lions for the 53rd overall pick and a 2024 fifth round pick.

Pick 53: Donovan Jackson, Guard, Ohio State

Analysis: With the future of Wyatt Teller in the air following the 2023 season and Joel Bitonio not getting any younger, I chose to trade back and add future draft capital while taking Jackson, a guard with a ton of upside and a fit for the zone blocking scheme the Browns use in the run game.

Pick 81: Donovan Edwards, Running Back, Michigan

Analysis: With Nick Chubb’s status after the 2023 season much like Teller is still up in the air and not enough sample size of Jerome Ford or Pierre Strong, the Browns should not pass by a special talent such as Donovan Edwards.

While the attention is on Blake Corum in Ann Arbor and for good reasons, Edwards made some serious noise last season averaging 7.1 yards per carry and just missing 1,000 yards at 991 in 2022. He’s got great size at 6’1 and 210 lbs and has also shown the ability as a pass catcher (38 catches for 465 yards and three touchdowns) as well.

Pick 137: Korey Foreman, EDGE, USC

Analysis: Foreman is an interesting prospect entering the 2023 season. He was the top overall recruit out of high school in the Class of 2020 but has yet to be able to show his full talent with the Trojans because of guys like Tuli Tuipulotu and Nick Figueroa who have since moved on.

Foreman had 11 pressures on 80 pass rush snaps his freshman year and 13 pressures on 123 pass rush snaps last season according to PFF but has just 2.5 sacks to show for it so far. He’s also been great in stopping the run but needs to put it all together this coming season to catch the eye more of NFL scouts and personnel.

Outside of Myles Garrett and having Za’Darius Smith currently for the 2023 season, the Browns still have questions at the EDGE position group. They do have Ogbo Okronkwo which is a solid #2/#3 option but Alex Wright had a lackluster rookie season and is starting the 2023 season currently injured. I’d expect them to keep taking stabs at the EDGE throughout the draft and Foreman could be worth the risk.

Pick 161: Tory Horton, Wide Receiver, Colorado State

Analysis: The wide receiver room could undergo some changes after the 2023 season with Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones both potentially leaving Cleveland during the offseason. They have Elijah Moore but he still needs to prove his worth and Cedric Tillman and David Bell are both developmental pieces moving forward.

Horton spent two seasons with Nevada before transferring to Colorado State where he exploded for 1,131 yards and eight touchdowns last season. He had 415 yards after the catch which ranked 36th among all FBS wide receivers but also had eight drops which is alarming but 2023 first round picks Quentin Johnson and Zay Flowers also had the same amount. Horton has the potential to be a vertical threat at the next level if he backs up 2022 with a solid 2023 campaign.

Pick 185: T.J. Tampa, Cornerback, Iowa State

Analysis: Andrew Berry loves cornerbacks and has invested in them in the draft every year as general manager whether it was with a draft pick or an undrafted free agent signing.

Tampa is a tall, physical cornerback who finally got to showcase his talent in his junior season earning second team All Big-12 in 2022 with 40 tackles, nine pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble, while also earning a 81.9 coverage grade from PFF.

Pick 198: Karene Reid, Linebacker, Utah

Analysis: The linebacker position is constantly changing and after 2023, it could be no exception. Anthony Walker and Sione Takitaki are on one year deals, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah needs to prove it this coming season and then you have others like Tony Fields, Jordan Kunaszyk in the room currently.

Reid is a linebacker who can do it all for the Utes. In 2022, he had 72 tackles (9.5 for a loss), 5.5 sacks (24 pressures), an interception and a forced fumble and recovery. PFF graded him above average in almost every category and despite being undersized (6’0, 227 lbs), Jim Schwartz could find him a role on this Browns defense.

Pick 208: Javon Foster, Offensive Tackle, Missouri

Analysis: Cleveland has taken swings on developmental offensive lineman such as James Hudson and Nick Harris during Berry’s tenure and under the guidance of offensive line coach Bill Callahan, who is one of the best ever at developing linemen.

Foster has been solid in his four years with the Tigers allowing just 40 pressures and seven sacks in 1,075 snaps. He is older as he enters his fifth season at Missouri but he’s worth the lottery ticket in the seventh round based on his production.