The Cleveland Browns certainly had plenty of draft capital in the 2022 NFL Draft to make some moves this offseason. Even after sending picks to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Amari Cooper, the Browns still have plenty of reasons to be excited about April’s draft. However, after shipping a king’s ransom to the Houston Texans for Deshaun Watson, the Browns now have far fewer selections in this year’s draft.
Here’s how the Browns’ 2022 draft picks stack up after trading for Cooper and Watson.
Cleveland Browns draft picks in 2022
- Round 3 | Pick 68 (from HOU)
Martin Emerson, CB, Mississippi State - Round 3 | Pick 78
Alex Wright, EDGE, UAB - Round 3 | Pick 99 (compensatory selection)
David Bell, WR, Purdue - Round 4 | Pick 108 (from HOU)
Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma - Round 4 | Pick 124 (from PHI via HOU)
Cade York, K, LSU - Round 5 | Pick 156 (from BAL via MN)
Jerome Ford, RB, Cincinnati - Round 6 | Pick 202 (from DAL)
Michael Woods II, WR, Oklahoma - Round 7 | Pick 223 (from DET)
Isaiah Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma - Round 7 | Pick 246 (from BUF)
Dawson Deaton, C, Texas Tech
In one of the biggest trades in NFL history, the Browns acquired Watson from the Texans. They sent three first-round picks, a 2023 third-rounder, and a pair of fourth-round selections, while they’ll also pick up a 2024 fifth-round choice from Houston.
The Browns moved quickly to acquire Cooper. They sent fifth- and sixth-round picks to Dallas in exchange for Cooper and Dallas’ sixth-round pick. That means the Browns moved just nine places in the sixth round, from pick No. 192 to pick No. 201, and sent a fifth-round selection to bring in a former Pro Bowl receiver.
With Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry gone, Cooper should be the team’s WR1 right away. The Browns needed wide receiver help this offseason, and they’ve gotten it even before the 2022 NFL Draft has started.
Browns 2022 NFL Draft team needs
As mentioned, the Browns needed receiver help. Clearly, they knew it as they moved on Cooper’s availability quickly. The Browns may not be done adding weapons for Watson to throw to, as they could use their Day 2 or 3 picks to grab another pass catcher.
With Watson and Cooper in the building, Cleveland’s bigger needs now stand on the defensive side of the ball. All levels of the defense could stand to add depth pieces, as well as potential replacements for aging veterans. Cleveland will be looking for a new edge rusher to pair opposite Myles Garrett, and they need impact players on the interior of their defensive line.
Here is how the Browns’ draft needs stack up after they acquired Cooper and Watson:
- Defensive Tackle
- Edge Defender
- Safety
- Linebacker
- Wide Receiver