Browns rookie class: Full snap counts and PFF grades

Dawand Jones led the way but plenty of snaps to go around for Cleveland’s drafted and undrafted rookies

As is true every year, the upcoming NFL draft class is the most important NFL draft class. While the Cleveland Browns have drafted in the first or second round the last two seasons, and won’t draft in the first round this year again. GM Andrew Berry has gotten a lot of value out of young players in those draft classes, especially CB Martin Emerson, OL Dawand Jones, DE Alex Wright and undrafted safety Ronnie Hickman.

The 2023 NFL draft included WR Cedric Tillman and DT Siaki Ika heading to Cleveland before Jones was selected. The class as a whole was seen as a future-looking group to develop for a year or two before being useful to the team on the field as starters.

Instead, due to injuries, Jones hit the field very early while the entire drafted group saw more than 50 snaps. Berry getting good play out of Hickman was important due to injuries as well.

Pro Football Focus put out their data on all of the Browns rookies starting with snap counts:

• Cedric Tillman – 609
• Siaki Ika – 99
• Dawand Jones – 712
• Isaiah McGuire – 93
• Dorian Thompson-Robinson – 214
• Cameron Mitchell – 277
• Luke Wypler – 57
• Ronnie Hickman Jr. – 308
• CB Kahlef Hailassie – 104
• LB Mohamoud Diabate – 26
• CB Tanner McCalister – 19
• LB Charlie Thomas III – 0
• DE Lonnie Phelps – 0

Hickman was given the highest grade among rookies:

• Hickman – 86.6
• Diabate – 70.6
• Hailassie – 67.2
• Jones – 65.5
• Wypler – 64.6
• McCalister – 59.3
• Mitchell – 58.1
• Tillman – 55.5
• McGuire – 50.8
• DTR – 49.3
• Ika – 37.1

Those with higher snap counts provide a larger sample size which leads to more validity in the grades. Hickman and Jones were the highest grades among players to take 100 or more snaps.

Do any snap counts or grades stand out to you as you think about this season’s rookies?