The Cleveland Browns don’t have a first-round draft pick again because of the Deshaun Watson trade, but that doesn’t mean they won’t make any selections this April. While the Browns’ first pick – in the second round – won’t be decided until they’re out of the playoffs, The Athletic’s Nick Baumgardner predicted who Cleveland would take.
The Browns have several needs, but Baumgardner sent Michigan running back Blake Corum to Cleveland as added backfield depth.
From The Athletic:
“The Browns are at their best when they’re running the football. But Nick Chubb needs a fresh running mate, and though Corum has a lot of wear on his body (and suffered a knee injury in 2022), he’s the best gap runner in this class and will be ready to help an NFL team as soon as he arrives.”
It’s an intriguing pick for the Browns considering how well Jerome Ford has played as the defacto lead back for Cleveland. Kareem Hunt could also be back on the team as well if a market for him doesn’t manifest for a second consecutive offseason.
Corum had a pretty solid college career with the Wolverines, culminating with a national championship during which he rushed 21 times for 134 yards and two touchdowns. He rushed 19 times for 83 yards and one touchdown in the College Football Playoff semifinal match with Alabama the week before. Corum finished his college career with 3,737 rushing yards and 58 rushing touchdowns in four years at Michigan.
This pick makes more sense if the Browns have serious concerns about Chubb’s knee and if they don’t bring Hunt back in 2024. Both are legitimate possibilities, as Chubb suffered a gruesome-looking knee injury in Week 2 that may take awhile to fully recover from, while Hunt is no guarantee to re-sign if he wants to find a more consistent role on a different team.
There is still plenty of time between now and the 2024 draft, though, so a lot could change.
