Browns NFL draft history: WR picks since 2010 is a sad reminder

This year’s NFL draft looks deep but can GM Andrew Berry find a stud?

There will be a lot of discussion around the Cleveland Browns offseason as we head into the NFL combine at the end of the month. The Browns have a bunch of free agents, some flexible cap space and eight draft picks to work on improving their playoff roster.

Looking at the roster broken down by positions and where there are free agents and contracted players shows different areas of needs. The big question for GM Andrew Berry is whether those get solved through the NFL draft or NFL free agency.

Wide receiver was one expert’s pick for the biggest question the Browns need to answer this offseason. While the team has done a good job drafting recently, the wide receiver position has been a problem for years. The list of receivers drafted by the team since 2010 is sad and concerning:

Berry is responsible for all three third-round receivers including Cedric Tillman last year. Donovan Peoples-Jones, traded last year for a late-round selection, is the most productive Berry receiver pick with Travis Benjamin having the most impressive career of the overall group.

Tillman gave some reason for hope in 2023 but the limitations of his college tape are something he’ll have to overcome:

With a need to complement Amari Cooper and prepare for the future, Cleveland could once again invest in a receiver with their top selection, in the second round, in 2024. Given the list above, Berry would have to overcome Browns history to actually hit on a pass catcher.

To be fair, the NFL draft is an inexact science with most selections after the first round more likely to be a miss than not.

Perhaps Berry turns to free agency to help the receiver group instead based on the high bust rate at the position and in Cleveland’s history.

What is your reaction to reading through all those names? Does it impact what you think should happen in this year’s NFL draft?