When folks sit down to watch the College Football Playoff games, there will be a ton of talent on display. It’s one of the major reasons these four teams are in the game. The games themselves are certainly worth watching, but for fans of the Cleveland Browns, some of the players that stand out in these games could be part of the conversation in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft.
The Vrbo Fiesta Bowl will feature the Michigan Wolverines and the TCU Horned Frogs, ranked #2 and #3 respectively.
Sonny Dykes has done a tremendous job as the head coach of TCU in his first season. He also inherited a talented team. Dykes has been able to get the most of this group, a credit to him, but whoever got that job was going to be in good shape.
The best prospect for the Horned Frogs will be wide receiver Quentin Johnson. He has a good shot to be the top receiver selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, assuming he declares. As a result, he will be long gone before the Browns pick, short of a catastrophe.
Kendre Miller, Running Back
The 2023 running back class is stacked. There is top tier talent and there is excellent depth. Kendre Miller is an underclassman who will have to make a decision soon on whether he wants to declare for this year’s class.
Miller split carries with Zach Evans as a sophomore. Evans then transferred to Ole Miss this season. As the featured back, Miller rushed for 1,342 yards, accounted for 23.1 percent of TCU’s total offense and scored 17 touchdowns.
Miller is an explosive, downhill back who can quickly diagnose where he needs to run. He’s listed at 220 pounds and if the Browns are looking for a dive back, Miller could be an outstanding fit and provide an excellent complement to Nick Chubb.
Dylan Horton, Defensive End
Horton was second in sacks this season after leading the team in 2021. He’s an athletic player with size that could be an intriguing option later in the draft. Given the fact that he will reportedly be 23 in August, that’s likely the earliest the Browns would consider drafting him anyway.
The Horned Frogs typically operate from an odd front, but keep their defensive ends tucked inside. As a result, Horton is often shooting gaps and then utilizing that advantage to beat the opponent and get to the football.
Should the Browns swap to a defense that wants a 4i, Horton could potentially be an option there. Otherwise, he’s an end with the ability to rush from the inside.
TCU has other prospects that could see their names called in the NFL Draft. Max Duggan, the team’s quarterback headlines this group, but the Browns are unlikely to take a quarterback with Deshaun Watson and Kellen Mond on the roster. They also have a guard in Steve Avila, a mammoth offensive guard, but he’s going to be 24 next October. He would be the oldest player this front office has drafted by a wide margin.
As for the Michigan Wolverines, they were able to reload effectively after last season’s success and have several players that could be on the Browns radar this coming April.
I’ve already written about one of them in defensive tackle Mazi Smith. The only thing that has really changed since this was published was the news that Smith had a pending weapons charge. He has since pleaded guilty on December 8th. He is scheduled to be sentenced on January 12th. Smith answered questions about it ahead of the bowl game.
Blake Corum, Running Back
Corum is an underclassmen so he could return to school if he chooses. He was arguably the best running back in the nation this season even if it’s not going to be the top rated back in the 2023 NFL Draft should he enter.
Nevertheless, Corum is a bowling ball. Listed 5’8″ 210lbs, Corum accounted for 26.1 percent of Michigan’s offensive yards this season. He’s another player that could function potentially as a dive back. Although Corum does have some production in the passing game for the Wolverines, he’s been a limited threat in that facet of the offense. With Chubb already on the roster, the Browns might be unwilling to take Corum unless they believe he’s good enough to take over for Chubb eventually.
Mike Morris, Defensive End
A giant of a standup end, Morris makes a ton of plays in the backfield, but rarely makes tackles anywhere else, having just 15 solo tackles on the season. Morris has been an impactful defender at his immense size, listed at 6’6″ 292 lbs.
His tape is inconsistent and never lives up to the hype that his team-leading 11 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks would suggest. Still, the ability to play standing up at that size is at least intriguing.
He’s also someone who could help teams get a better sense of the range of his skills if he participates in an All-Star game, assuming he feels good enough to participate after the playoff.
RJ Moten, the talented safety for the Wolverines could theoretically declare for the draft this year, but could use another year in college. Tight end Luke Schoonmaker and offensive tackle Ryan Hayes are also players that could be drafted, but probably older than the Browns will be seeking.
Wide receiver Ronnie Bell is likely in the same boat. It’s strange to think that in 2019, Bell had more receiving yards than both Nico Collins and Donovan Peoples-Jones. DPJ is now in his third NFL season.
The Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl will feature the #1 Georgia Bulldogs and the #4 Ohio State Buckeyes.
The Buckeyes may be the lowest seed in the playoffs but they are loaded with prospects the NFL is excited to get. What may be hurting Ohio State is the fact that players leave so quickly, it can be challenging to get a fully formed team to win a championship.
Assuming they declare, the Browns will not have a chance to select quarterback CJ Stroud or offensive tackle Paris Johnson. They might have a shot at center Luke Wypler as well as right tackle Dawand Jones, but neither is a position the Browns are likely to address early. Jackson Smith-Njigba could theoretically be available for the Browns to select, but he’s not playing in the playoffs.
Zach Harrison, Defensive End
Harrison is a gifted athlete with great size for the position, but his production for the Buckeyes has been non-existent. His junior year was his best, but it’s still rather low given the lineage of Buckeye defensive ends.
Harrison is infuriating to watch because he’s remarkably gifted, but he hasn’t quite figured out what he is yet. As an example, he will bull through an offensive lineman in front of him on his way to the quarterback and then try to go around a running back, taking himself out of the play.
At a listed 6’6″ 272 pounds, he has freaky straight line speed. Harrison also demonstrates excellent power. He clearly has talent, but he needs to figure out the right tool for the job in a given situation. He’s still only 21 years old. old which only adds to the intrigue. Harrison has a chance to be a better pro than college player if he can finally put everything together.
If Harrison has a big game or two games should the Buckeyes win, it will send people into a frenzy about his prospects at the next level.
Cade Stover, Tight End
Nicknamed Farmer Gronkm Stover is listed 6’4″ 255lbs. He’s shown to be a talented pass catcher even if his numbers aren’t outstanding. Stover is physical and athletic, showing the ability to be a matchup problem.
If he’s available on day three of the NFL Draft, the Browns could grab him to further bolster that room. This isn’t a great receiver class while the tight ends are pretty good, so that may be a tradeoff that ends up happening. He could use a big game in the playoff as he only has three games with over fifty yards receiving and this is his only year of meaningful production.
Miyan Williams, Running Back
With TreVeyon Henderson battling injuries much of the year, Williams shined. Much like Blake Corum, Williams is a no-nonsense, downhill runner who has effective speed and power. He could potentially be a dive back option, but also like Corum, he has limited impact in the passing game.
Williams has some options coming out of this season. He could stay at Ohio State and play another year with Henderson. Williams could declare for the NFL Draft coming off of his most productive year or he could transfer to a program where he’d be the featured back with the hope he has a monster year.
Should he declare, he might be a nice value play for a team on the third day of the NFL Draft. He has shown ability, but there isn’t much to go off which brings a level of risk. Williams seems ideal to be a second back in an NFL offense just like he was with the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Assuming he’s gotten over being ill, a healthy Williams could provide a boost to the Buckeye offense if he has a big game, it could make the decision to declare that much easier.
Tommy Eichenberg, Linebacker
Eichenberg has been one of the most productive linebackers in the country. His 72 solo tackles account for 16.3 percent of the team’s total. He took full advantage of the infusion of talent the Buckeyes got on the defensive line, operating like a heat-seeking missile this season.
To this point, Eichenberg has not said whether he will declare for the NFL Draft. If he does, he could be an intriguing option for the Browns, who saw both Anthony Walker Jr. and Sione Takitaki suffer season-ending injuries. Eichenberg could plug into the MIKE backer spot in the NFL, which could be something the Browns look to target.
Like Ohio State, the Georgia Bulldogs have a couple of players the Browns won’t have a chance to select. Jalen Carter, their stud defensive tackle is second to none this year and had a compelling argument to at least be invited to the Heisman Trophy ceremony this year.
Nolan Smith is an undersized pass rusher likely to be gone before the Browns are on the clock. It’s a similar situation with tackle Broderick Jones, although that’s a position the Browns are unlikely to target early anyway. There might not be a position the Browns have less interest in early than corner in addition to the fact that Kelee Ringo will probably be gone before the Browns pick.
Safety Christopher Smith is likely older than the Browns would prefer, although it’s not impossible to make that selection on day three of the draft. Running back Kenny McIntosh is going to be 23 before the NFL Draft, which greatly reduces the chances that the Browns will target him.
Darnell Washington, Tight End
The Bulldogs have the best pair of tight ends in the country. Brock Bowers is a tight end with wide receiver ability. Darnell Washington is a tight end built like a base end. Bowers has to remain in school one more year, but Washington will decide if he wants to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft.
Listed 6’7″ 270 pounds, Washington has terrific speed and athleticism. His receiving production is not great, but it’s not terrible either. With his build and athletic traits, it seemingly should be far better. The problem is that Washington doesn’t currently plays to his size as a receiver. That part of his game is a projection.
He is a powerful, physical presence at the line of scrimmage and can bolster the run blocking of a team, which could include the Browns. Even though he needs to develop as a receiver, teams still have to account for him. Should he declare, he’s going to be drafted on immense potential and the Browns could be among the teams that are interested.
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