NFL draft history: How have the Browns performed drafting in Round 3?

The first three rounds are critical for the franchise to get better

The Cleveland Browns are about to enter the NFL draft on April 25-27 to be held at Hart Plaza in Detroit, Michigan. The Chicago Bears hold the first pick.

Well, actually, let’s make a correction. Cleveland GM Andrew Berry can take his family to the movies or catch a Cleveland Guardians game on the first day of the draft which encompasses only Round 1. The Browns first pick is at #54 in the second round which happens on Day 2.

The second day is rounds 2-3. On the final day, it will be rounds 4-7. This year, barring any more trades, Cleveland only has five draft slots:

• Second Round – #54
• Third Round – #85
• Fifth Round – #155
• Sixth Round – #205
• Seventh Round – #243

While the franchise needs to hit on their second-round pick, the third round is a critical portion of the growth of the team and depth of the roster.

Recently, Berry has done a good job at selecting players in this round since he became the holder of the kingdom in 2020.

But what about other years? What have other GMs done to progress the franchise in past seasons?

Andrew Berry (2020-present)

2023

WR Cedric Tillman #74 – Grade B-

DT Siaka Ika #98 – Grade C-

Both players had minimal snaps in 2023 and require more development. Once Joe Flacco took over as quarterback, Tillman did get more targets and was slowly becoming more involved in the offense. Ika hardly saw the field until the end of the season and finished with just 9.42% of defensive plays. 2024 will show if either one of these athletes will pan out.

Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

2022

CB M.J. Emerson # 68 – Grade A

DE Alex Wright # 78 – Grade C

WR David Bell #99 – Grade C-

This was a good draft class in the third round for Berry. He hit a home run with Emerson who ended up starting opposite Denzel Ward in just his rookie year and in 2023 played at a Pro Bowl level. Wright has had his moments and is the first defensive end off the bench but still needs development. Bell just does not get many snaps (17.5% of offensive plays) to prove his worth and seems to be the forgotten man in the receiver room.

2021

WR Anthony Schwartz #91 – Grade F

Schwartz had elite speed (4.25) and had competed in the Pan American U20 Championships and the World U20 Championships. He had Olympic aspirations. His speed did not help the fact that he could not catch the ball nor hold onto the rock on jet sweeps. In the end, his speed helped with nothing related to football.

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2020

DT Jordan Elliott #88 – Grade C

LB Jacob Phillips #97 – Grade D-

Jordan did finally start last year, but only in his final year. His Pro Football Focus (PFF) grade was a miserable 46.6. Phillips was viewed as the future of the linebacker group, but could never remain healthy.

John Dorsey (2017-2019)

2019

LB Sione Takitaki #80 – Grade B+

Takitaki was used right away as a rookie and eventually took over the SAM linebacker spot. His 2023 PFF grade of 70.8 was a career high. It was expected that the Browns would retain his services going forward, but during free agency, he signed with the New England Patriots.

2018

DE Chad Thomas #67 – Grade D

Thomas came to a roster that needed a good pass-rushing specialist to groom. He was a Senior Bowl invitee and played in the East-West Shrine Bowl. He had good size (6’-6”, 275 pounds) with 10 career sacks in college, but lasted just two seasons and in his final season with Cleveland his PFF grade was 47.8. He suffered a neck injury in training camp in 2019 and played minimally. The following training camp he was cut on the final cutdown. He never played another down in the league.

Sashi Brown (2016-2017)

2017

DT Larry Ogunjobi #65 – Grade C+

Although Ogunjobi eventually started, he never became the run-stopping lineman he was expected to be. He started 47 of 60 games with 180 tackles, 14.5 sacks, and 29 tackles for loss over four seasons. After a 53.0 PFF grade in 2020, he was allowed to test the free agent waters and find employment elsewhere.

2016

DE Carl Nassib # 65 – Grade B

OT Shon Coleman #76 – Grade D+

QB Cody Kessler #93 – Grade D+

Nassib was a defensive stud out of Penn State winning the Lombardi Award, Lott Trophy, Hendricks Award, and was named All-American, First Team All-Big 10 as well as being named the Nagurski-Woodson Defensive Player of the Year. Taken in the third round, he was a can’t miss prospect with his 15.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss his final year. He started three games as a rookie and then 12 games in 2017 with 52 total tackles and 5.5 sacks for both seasons. The Browns cut him for no apparent reason. He eventually came out as being gay which was the first of his kind while an active player.

Coleman had a second-round grade but was taken one round later. He had issues with a college knee injury that limited his rookie season, but started all 16 games at right tackle in 2017. He was then traded to San Francisco for a seventh-round pick.

Although Kessler completed 66.8% of his passes his senior year at USC, he was taken in Round 3 to backup Robert Griffin, III and Josh McCown. In two seasons he started just eight games with just six touchdowns thrown. Before his third season he was traded to the Jacksonville Jaguars for a seventh-round pick.

Ray Farmer (2014-2015)

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

2015

RB Duke Johnson #77 – Grade B-

DT Xavier Cooper #96 – Grade D-

It was assumed Johnson would provide a boost to the running game for the offense. He had a great college career being named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year, selected First Team All-ACC, and winning the Piccolo Award. He started eight games as a rookie and gained 379 yards and Johnson looked like a winner. All four years in Cleveland he played in all 16 games but never became the bellcow as expected. After Nick Chubb was drafted in 2018, the Browns traded him to the Houston Texans for a fourth-round draft pick.

Running a 4.86 in the 40, Cooper ran the fastest time for a defensive lineman at the Combine. After starting just two games in two seasons with just 1.5 sacks and 39 tackles, he was cut on the final cutdown. He was then signed and cut by two other NFL clubs.

2014

LB Christian Kirksey #71 – Grade B-

RB Terrance West # 94 – Grade D+

Kirksey was a tackling machine in college totaling 309 tackles in three seasons. His tenure with the Browns lasted six seasons with 54 starts in 73 games played. He suffered a chest injury in 2019 which eventually led to his release. He played for three more NFL clubs but his injury history continued.

West was a track star but had issues with grades. his low academic qualifications and test scores limited his opportunities. He left Fork Union Military Academy with no scholarship offers and ended up at Towson. West had 171 attempts for 673 yards with four touchdowns and everything looked pretty good for him being a rookie.

The issue was the next year when he reported to preseason camp overweight and immediately reclaimed his position in the coaching staff’s doghouse throughout the preseason. After the final preseason game in Chicago, the Browns traded West to the Tennessee Titans for a conditional pick in the 2016 NFL draft.

Michael Lombardi (2013)

2013

CB Leon McFadden #68 – Grade F

The Browns were happy with Joe Haden as one starter, but wanted another cornerback with good coverage skills to man the right corner spot as Sheldon Brown was aging out. McFadden only lasted one season and was cut on the final cutdown the following training camp. He then bounced on six NFL clubs as mainly a core special teamer.

Tom Heckert (2010-2012)

2012

DT John Hughes #87 – Grade C-

Hughes had great size and played an impressive college career at Cincinnati. In his four seasons with Cleveland, he had just 10 starts. He was released in 2016 one year after signing a $14.4 million extension.

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images

2010

QB Colt McCoy #85 – Grade B-

OG Shawn Lauvao #92 – Grade B

While playing at Texas, McCoy blew up college football and won seven awards, was named to seven best of teams, was selected the Big-12 Offensive Player of the Year, and later had his #12 jersey retired. QB Brady Quinn was the starter but had been a disappointment. McCoy started as a rookie and had 21 starts his first two seasons. QB Brandon Weeden was drafted in the first round in 2012 and suddenly McCoy was expendable. He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers for a fifth and seventh.

Lauvao played four years with Cleveland with 53 starts and was a starter his second season. He left in free agency in 2014 and signed a four-year $17 million deal with the Washington Redskins. Was named All-State in high school with a 3.8 GPA. Named Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 selection as a senior at Arizona State.

Other notables chosen in the third round:

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2000-2009

2000 Travis Prentice

2001 James Jackson

2005 QB Charlie Frye

1990-1999

1990 DE Anthony Pleasant

1992 LB Gerald Dixon

1993 LB Mike Caldwell

1995 QB Eric Zeier

1980-1989

1983 DE Reggie Camp

1987 K Jeff Jaeger

1988 LB Van Waiters

1970-1979

1976 WR Dave Logan

1960-1969

1965 RB Bo Scott

1967 K Don Cockroft

1969 TE Chip Glass

1950-1959

1950 RB Jimmy Joe Robinson

1952 QB Don Klosterman

1953 CB Fred Bruney

1953 OG Gene Donaldson

1955 CB Bobby Freeman

1958 OG Buzz Guy