3 best Browns moves in 2024 NFL Draft

Some have pointed out that Hall’s consistency on tape wasn’t always there. That’s fair, but it is also important to point out that he is only 20 years old. He will turn 21 in June. And yet, there is already a ton to work with regarding Hall’s game. His development will be key to monitor, but the strength of Cleveland’s defensive front will help Hall immensely.

Drafting Zak Zinter

It was a must for the Browns to add to their offensive line depth. Three of Cleveland’s mainstays up front in Jedrick Wills, Jack Conlin, and Joel Bitonio all missed time last season due to injury. To help with that, the Browns snagged Michigan guard Zak Zinter in the third round. Zinter was stout for the National Champion Michigan Wolverines. He didn’t allow a single sack a year ago on 287 pass block snaps according to PFF.

Barring an injury, Zinter likely doesn’t have a path to becoming a starter as a rookie. Bitonio is one of the best guards in the league on the left side and Wyatt Teller has held down the right guard spot for the Browns since 2019. It’s never a bad idea to add depth, however, and Zinter can play well in a pinch if necessary.

Drafting Jamari Thrash

The Browns have continuously looked to add to their wide receiver core. In 2022, Cleveland traded a fifth-round pick for Amari Cooper. Last year, they acquired Elijah Moore from the New York Jets for a swap from the second round to the third. This offseason, the Browns dealt a fifth-round pick to the Denver Broncos for Jerry Jeudy and a sixth. They’ve also spent a third-round pick on David Bell and Cedric Tillman in that time.

They love to take shots on receivers, and the Browns did the same in the fifth round with Louisville’s Jamari Thrash. Thrash is an underrated player. He started at Georgia State before transferring to Louisville for his final season. He played well in his lone season at a Power conference school. Thrash put up 63 receptions for 858 yards and six touchdowns in 2023. He’s a sleeper.

Thrash was one of the most efficient receivers in college football the last two seasons against single coverage. That could help him find a long-term role with the Browns. Cooper and Moore can both be free agents in 2025. Bell and Tillman have yet to distinguish themselves as difference-makers either.

There’s a chance Thrash emerges from this group and becomes a starter in the future. That’s all anybody can ask for from a fifth-round pick. Cleveland has to find some gems with the draft capital they’ve sent out over the last three years. Thrash could be one.