The Cleveland Browns had an interesting 2022 NFL draft. After having traded their first-round pick as a part of the massive haul for QB Deshaun Watson, the Browns then traded down out of the second round as well.
That led CB Martin (MJ) Emerson to be the team’s top draft pick, a third-rounder, and a lack of hype around the team’s draft class. WR David Bell might have a long-shot chance for offensive rookie of the year as he gets a shot to replace Jarvis Landry but those two third-rounders may not have the biggest role on the team in 2022.
Fellow third-round pick, DE Alex Wright, may not either.
Instead, it is Cleveland’s fourth-round where impact might come from rookies. K Cade York is already installed as the team’s starting kicker and showed a strong leg in camp. DT Perrion Winfrey remains unsigned but has a chance to contribute at a position that is weak on the defense.
York and Winfrey were named to NFL.com’s ‘All-Rookie Team’ projections:
York’s leg strength has already impressed people in Cleveland. He made 15 of 19 attempts (78.9 percent) from 50 or more yards during his LSU career, which is the sort of consistency from distance that the Browns need going up against fellow AFC North kickers Chris Boswell (Pittsburgh), Evan McPherson (Cincinnati) and Justin Tucker (Baltimore).
Even if Winfrey doesn’t win a starting job coming out of training camp, I expect the Browns to get him into the game in sub-packages regularly early in the season to attack the backfield. His playing time should increase as he progresses through his rookie campaign, in which he’ll accumulate somewhere in the range of six to eight tackles for loss and three to five sacks for the year.
A few other AFC North players make the offensive version of the team for NFL.com with high draft picks primarily winning roles.
If York and Winfrey can make early impacts for the team, along with some production from Bell, it will allow Emerson and Wright to develop at their pace. As a team with Super Bowl aspirations, the Browns need to use the draft for both instant production and long-term planning. Hopefully, they have done so in 2022.
