Welcome to draft week. And with the 2023 NFL draft now just four days away, the Cleveland Browns will look to add depth to their roster. Their biggest team needs remain along their defensive line, both inside and outside, and at the wide receiver position. Other players they could address include running back to replace Kareem Hunt, linebacker, and safety.
As the draft nears, Touchdown Wire has completed another full three-round mock draft, and for a team that does not own a first or second round pick, this is the only time we get to see the Browns make a simulated selection.
Who did they mock to the Browns? We take a look here at both selections and break them down.
Round 3, Pick No. 74: DT Siaki Ika, Baylor
While the Browns need another defensive tackle added to their roster, taking a player who proved to be a two-down run stuffer as early as pick No. 74 does not seem to be a fruitful use of the pick. For a team that has tended to prioritize gap shooters and pass rushers from the interior, especially for a team that just spent big money on Dalvin Tomlinson, Baylor’s Siaki Ika is not the guy for them.
Ika’s tape took a dip in 2023 for the Bears, proving he could not be on the field against teams that run 11 personnel as he spent a lot of time on the sideline. He was also expected to test well at his size, and Ika fell short of that expectation at the combine. Ika does not have the tape of a playmaker or the tape of a day-two player.
Some players drafted after Ika in this mock draft that would be more fitting for the Browns include Notre Dame pass rusher Isaiah Foskey and Auburn defensive end Derick Hall.
Round 3, Pick No. 98: S Jordan Battle, Alabama
Again, the position is not the problem. Instead, the player’s skill set and how the player fits what the Browns usually look for raises red flags about the selection of Alabama safety Jordan Battle. With no athleticism and range, Battle is almost exclusively a downhill safety.
While Battle has good eyes and instincts to play in the box, and the Browns need to replace Ronnie Harrison on their roster, is that a set of skills that should be given the priority of a third round pick? Even a running back to replace Kareem Hunt would be given more opportunities to make plays early in their career than a box safety.
And in a weak safety class, if the Browns have to compromise and take a lower-level athlete, then do it on day three of the 2023 NFL draft.
Conclusion
The Browns have two big needs that still have holes after free agency: defensive end and wide receiver. And neither was addressed in this mock draft. Drafting a defensive tackle would be a wise idea for the Browns, as they did here, but one with the skillset to impact games on a three-down basis would be the priority. Ika did not prove he could be that player this past season.
The Battle selection does not compute. He is an older prospect with subpar athleticism. While the Browns may bend their guardrails a bit this year, a player with two outliers will likely not even get their name on the draft board later this week.
