After finishing the season with an 11-6 record but also a first-round playoff exit, the evaluation period is in full swing. The 2023 draft class for the Browns featured no picks until the third round and they won’t have a selection until the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. It is time to take a look at how the rookies fared ahead of their second seasons.
Evaluating the Browns 2023 Draft Class After One Year
Round Three Picks From Browns Draft Class
The first pick the Browns made from the 2023 draft class was wide receiver Cedric Tillman. The orange and brown sought out Tillman to add a bigger frame to the receiver room. The 6’3, 215-pound wideout had a few chances to make plays and ended the year with underwhelming numbers.
The third option at wide receiver for most of the year, Tillman totaled 44 targets but finished with just 21 receptions in 14 games. He totaled 224 receiving yards and a 10.7 average yards per reception. Tillman had zero touchdowns and a long catch of 23 yards. The Browns are expected to add a name to this group in free agency, meaning Tillman will have another man to battle over.
Cedric Tillman with his first catch as a Cleveland Brown pic.twitter.com/IovPemvIDZ
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) August 4, 2023
The other pick in this round was 98th overall with defensive tackle Siaki Ika. The second member of the 2023 draft class, he played in just two games, both coming in the final three weeks. His only box score statistic was one pass defended, as he battled for time in a talented group of defensive linemen.
Round Four Picks
At pick nine in the fourth round and 111th overall, the Browns took offensive tackle Dawand Jones. Jones played in the opener, and an injury to the line saw him start the next seven games. He would go on to start a few more as he battled injuries, his last game coming in Week 14.
Jones made the most of his opportunities and allowed a very limited amount of pressure. He landed a spot on the Pro Football Writers of America All-Rookie Team. A sign of things to come, Jones was one of the only rookies who saw meaningful game action, and he was the best rookie of the bunch.
Browns 2023 offensive line grades:
Jedrick Wills Jr.: 56.0
Joel Bitonio: 67.9
Ethan Pocic: 72.2
Wyatt Teller: 73.9
Dawand Jones: 65.5Geron Christian: 46.6
James Hudson III: 49.3 pic.twitter.com/yeBKcL1dlH— PFF CLE Browns (@PFF_Browns) February 19, 2024
At 126th overall, the Browns took another defensive lineman in Isaiah McGuire. McGuire played in four games and registered stats in two of them. Another defensive player from the 2023 draft class, McGuire got one start in the season finale. He had five solo tackles and one sack, proving he can wreak havoc when given snaps. Like Ika, he will battle for a bigger role next season.
The Late-Round Picks
With the 140th pick overall, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson landed in Cleveland. The fifth member of the 2023 draft class, he played in eight games and made three starts. He limited time to prepare for his first start where he threw three interceptions and managed three points for the offense.
However, his second start resulted in a win, where he had just one interception. The following week brought another loss, but zero interceptions and his first passing touchdown. On the year, Thompson-Robinson finished with 440 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, and one passing touchdown with four interceptions.
Two selections later, the Browns took their final defensive player in cornerback Cameron Mitchell. Mitchell saw time in 13 games, finishing the year with 18 tackles and one sack. Mitchell also is in a talented room with young yet proven guys ahead of him. He made some plays in the finale when he had five tackles.
In round six and the 190th overall pick, the final pick of the 2023 draft class was center Luke Wypler. He played in just five games and started the final game of the season. A talented player, Wypler was not expected to do much as a backup center taken this late in the draft.
As a whole, many guys in the 2023 draft class had a chance to shine, with Jones being the rookie that took charge of his minutes.
