Cleveland Browns NFL Draft Live Blog (Day 1) - Rumors, Picks, and More

[DAY 2 OF THE DRAFT LIVE BLOG IS HERE]

The 2020 NFL Draft officially begins for the Cleveland Browns and the rest of the teams in the NFL tonight at 8:00 PM ET. The mock drafts that are staff completed for the first round (and part of the second round) can be found here.

We will have all of your Browns-related coverage on the draft here at Dawgs By Nature throughout the weekend. This thread will act as a “live blog,” with updates about the latest small rumors, picks, or trades involving Cleveland or other NFL teams. You should also use the comments section as your NFL Draft open thread! (Newest updates will be at the top of the live blog below)

Browns NFL Draft Live Blog

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12:12 AM: Thank you for joining us for Day 1 of our NFL Draft live blog! We will be back bright and early for Day 2 of our live blog Friday morning. For now, here are the top 21 players remaining on the DBN Browns Big Board. The thing that stands out are the number of attractive safeties who remain, but I also see a couple of edge players who I like too.

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12:09 AM: With the final pick of the first round of the draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire. He was pegged to be a second round pick, but ends up being the first running back drafted in 2020.

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12:07 AM: Chris Trapasso of CBS Sports has been posting analysis of each draft pick tonight. Here is what he said about the Browns taking OT Jedrick Wills earlier:

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12:02 AM: With the 31st pick, the Minnesota Vikings selected CB Jeff Gladney. One more pick to go, for the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs!

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12:00 AM: It’s midnight, so can I say, “Welcome to Day 2 of the NFL Draft,” technically? With the 30th pick, the Miami Dolphins selected CB Noah Igbinoghene. That means the Dolphins selected a QB, OT, and CB with their three first-round picks. I had them taking a QB, S, and OT.

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11:50 PM: With the 29th pick, the Tennessee Titans selected OT Isaiah Wilson, which makes sense since they lost OT Jack Conklin to the Browns in free agency. We have an interesting storyline going on leading into Day 2 of the draft, because not a single safety has been taken in the first round. That could bode well for Cleveland on Day 2, although there are still quite a few picks to go before the Browns are on the clock again.

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11:45 PM: At No. 27, the Seattle Seahawks drafted LB Jordyn Brooks. The pick we were more interested was at No. 28, where our division rival Baltimore Ravens selected LB Patrick Queen. There are four picks remaining for the first round of the draft.

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11:36 PM: After being drafted, new Browns OT Jedrick Wills was a guest on SiriusXM NFL Radio. You can listen to the interview here, conducted by Gil Brandt, Pat Kirwan, Jim Miller and Jason Horowitz.

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11:28 PM: The Green Bay Packers traded up to No. 26, where they selected QB Brandon Love, an interesting move given the fact that QB Aaron Rodgers is their long-term starter. Unrelated, Raiders head coach Jon Gruden may have revealed his draft big board on camera. Kind of reminds me of the Browns that one time...

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11:26 PM: Here is a fun tweet, showing Saints head coach Sean Payton just not giving a bleep:

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11:16 PM: With the 25th pick of the draft, the San Francisco 49ers selected WR Brandon Aiyuk. The 49ers traded up to grab Aiyuk. I’ll update the Browns big board again at the end of the night, so we can see who remains.

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11:14 PM: With the 24th pick of the draft, the New Orleans Saints selected OL Cesar Ruiz, which made me pump my first a little. I did not want the Baltimore Ravens (who pick 28th) landing their next starting guard with Ruiz.

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11:00 PM: Heading into the final third of the first round, here are the top players still remaining on our Browns Big Board:

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10:51 PM: Here are the next few picks, which include a couple of surprises:

• Dolphins selected OT Austin Jackson at No. 18.
• Raiders selected CB Damon Arnette at No. 19.
• Jaguars selected LB K’Lavon Chaisson at No. 20.
• Eagles selected WR Jalen Raegor at No. 21.
• Vikings selected WR Justin Jefferson at No. 22.
• Chargers selected LB Kenneth Murray at No. 23, trading up with the Patriots.

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10:49 PM: I was wondering where Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones was when they showed him, and as it turns out, he’s on his yacht:

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10:36 PM: Well, there haven’t been any technical glitches during the draft, but what’s kind of funny is that Roger Goodell has been the one sounding the most awkward or having flubs. First, he switched outfits mid-way through the first round. Then, when making the big announcement about Las Vegas hosting the 2022 NFL Draft, he messed up both the team (Dallas) and the year (2020) when making the announcement.

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10:30 PM: According to Browns Chief Strategy Officer Paul DePodesta, Wills was the No. 1 offensive tackle on their board, meaning they were unphased when the Giants grabbed OT Andrew Thomas at No. 4.

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10:26 PM: Sorry, I stepped away from the live blog a bit so we could write an article on what Browns GM Andrew Berry had to say after drafting Wills. You can read all about that here, but here is the cliff notes version:

• He will definitely play left tackle, but will be physically re-programmed to do so. Bill Calahan will help with the transition.
• They did not expect only one offensive tackle to be off the board at No. 10. They had the option to trade down, but Wills was too good to pass up on. Berry also brushed off a question about Trent Williams.

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10:25 PM: Here are the draft picks that have happened since our last update:

• Buccaneers selected OT Tristan Wirfs at No. 13. They gave up a 4th round pick to move up one spot.
• 49ers selected DT Javon Kinlaw at No. 14.
• Broncos selected WR Jerry Jeudy at No. 15.
• Falcons selected CB A.J. Terrell at No. 16.
• Cowboys selected WR CeeDee Lamb at No. 17.

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9:50 PM: We have a trade! The Tampa Bay Buccaneers moved up one pick, flipping with the San Francisco 49ers. The assumption here would have to be that the 49ers had interest from another suitor. With the 13th pick, the Buccaneers selected OT Tristan Wirfs. There go all four offensive tackles, so Cleveland couldn’t have moved down too far to risk missing the boat on these guys. The 49ers are up next.

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9:40 PM: Forgive the low quality of these screenshots, but I captured the offices of Kevin Stefanski and Andrew Berry, the montage of Browns fans, and Jedrick Wills wearing his Browns hat from the broadcast:

Also, the Oakland Raiders just drafted WR Henry Ruggs III with the 12th pick.

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9:37 PM: The New York Jets drafted OT Mekhi Becton with the 11th pick of the draft. But back to the Browns’ selection, here is Draw Play Dave’s drawing of Cleveland’s newest player:

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9:35 PM: Browns players start reacting to the selection of offensive tackle Jedrick Wills:

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9:32 PM: With the 10th pick of the draft, your CLEVELAND BROWNS selected OT Jedrick Wills! Our post on the selection is here. How would you grade the pick?

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9:23 PM: With the 9th pick of the draft, the Jacksonville Jaguars selected CB C.J. Henderson. The Cleveland Browns are officially on the clock at No. 10 with their pick of three tackles!

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9:15 PM: With the 8th pick of the draft, the Arizona Cardinals selected LB Isaiah Simmons. The Jacksonville Jaguars are on the clock, with the Browns after them — an offensive lineman or a trade down should definitely be the move for Cleveland.

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9:10 PM: With the 7th pick of the draft, the Carolina Panthers selected DT Derrick Brown. The Arizona Cardinals are up next.

By the way, shout out to Codey Dauch, who has done some awesome Browns artwork this week on Twitter.

Also, a clarification to the fact that Dave Gettleman is wearing a mask:

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9:03 PM: With the 6th pick of the draft, the Los Angeles Chargers selected QB Justin Herbert. The Carolina Panthers are up next.

By the way, I always like including this chart every year, showing the difference in taxes draft picks will have to pay, depending on what city’s team they are drafted to.

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8:56 PM: OK, this one is a bit unusual, lol, for Giants GM Dave Gettleman.

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8:55 PM: With the 5th pick of the draft, the Miami Dolphins selected QB Tua Tagovailoa. The Los Angeles Chargers are next, and with four picks to go before Cleveland is on the clock, LB Isaiah Simmons, OT Tristan Wirfs, OT Jedrick Wills, and OT Mekhi Becton are all still on the board.

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8:47 PM: This is where the draft was going to get a little more uncertain. With the 4th pick in the draft, the New York Giants selected OT Andrew Thomas. Our first offensive tackle candidate is off the board — I pegged one to the Giants, but thought it’d be someone else. The Miami Dolphins are on the clock.

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8:38 PM: I like Albert Breer, but for now, I muted him on Twitter because he’s tipping picks before they are broadcast. With the 3rd pick in the draft, the Detroit Lions selected CB Jeff Okudah — back to back Buckeyes! The Giants are on the clock.

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8:35 PM: With the 2nd pick in the draft, the Washington Redskins selected DE Chase Young. The Detroit Lions are on the clock, and this is a spot where we could see a trade down.

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8:25 PM: Finally. With the first pick of the draft, the Cincinnati Bengals selected QB Joe Burrow. He actually tipped the pick by grabbing a Bengals hat while the feed was on him. Although we knew all along which team was drafting him. The Washington Redskins are on the clock.

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8:22 PM: While we wait, holy cow, look at the view for Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. Sometimes a view like that makes me wish I was wealthy :(

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8:19 PM: The Bengals are on the clock, and they showed the “draft rooms” of the Bengals’ head coach and GM, followed by a montage of Bengals fans at home. That is a pretty good interactive feature I was hoping for; I wonder if they’ll do it for all 32 teams? If so, I’ll try capturing the Browns’ setup.

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8:12 PM: I just saw this, regarding Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski’s setup at home. Also, we’ve had the introduction by Goodell, and it looks like we’re about to get started with the first overall pick!

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7:56 PM: Right before the bell, we hear this from NFL.com’s Brian Baldinger:

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7:12 PM: We are less than an hour away from the start of the 2020 NFL Draft! Teams will have ten minutes for each pick in the first round, but word is that the NFL is going to be pretty flexible if teams are having technology issues:

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7:07 PM: Some good news on the injury front for the Browns as wide receiver Jarvis Landry posted a workout video today on his Instagram account, according to Nate Ulrich at The Beacon Journal:

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6:45 PM: Here is what Browns Executive VP JW Johnson said about the thought of trading for OT Trent Williams. Obviously the team isn’t going to tip their hand pre-draft either way.

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6:24 PM: The Detroit Lions appear open for business with the third overall pick, with the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars reportedly showing interesting, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport:

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5:37 PM: We talked about “war room setups” early, and here is another cool-looking one for Redskins head coach Ron Rivera. Two observations: how come there is a magnifying glass on the table under the humongous TV, and how do you not have a bigger chair to go with all of that?

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5:34 PM: Here is a brief reminder that you can order your very own Dawgs By Nature t-shirts! Click here to order.

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5:02 PM: If you read our roundtable discussion this morning, you saw how we talked about whether there might be hiccups for the draft with everyone accessing it remotely. Well, at least we know that Browns GM Andrew Berry is prepared for any wacky scenario that may occur, including what would happen if electricity went out:

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4:38 PM: According to long-time draft analyst Tony Pauline, the Browns’ interest in OT Ezra Cleveland has been “very hot” for awhile — but he adds that the Vikings and Jaguars, both of whom have multiple first-round picks, are also expressing growing interest in him.

Since the NFL Combine, I’ve spoken at length on the Cleveland Browns’ interest in offensive tackle Ezra Cleveland, which I would categorize as very hot. Two other teams who are hot for Cleveland in the middle of the first round are the Minnesota Vikings and Jacksonville Jaguars. Interest from the Vikings may come as a bit of a surprise to many, but I’m told the team loves Cleveland’s athleticism and feels he’s a perfect fit for their system.

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4:31 PM: Prior to the Browns’ pick tonight, a 12-year-old St. Jude patient and Browns fans will introduce Cleveland being on the clock! I believe that Roger Goodell will be the one who actually announces the pick. Also, I’m assuming that certain things like the Browns’ introduction will be pre-recorded, otherwise that would seem like an additional complexity to bring even more segments into live remote sessions.

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2:47 PM: NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala reports that while Browns general manager Andrew Berry may be aggressive this weekend, don’t expect to see Odell Beckham Jr. moved in any deals:

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1:47 PM: Adding on to what Yahoo’s Charles Robinson said in his notes earlier if this nugget about the Browns, although I have a tough time trying to understand if it means they’d consider moving up or down, depending on the number of offensive tackles still available.

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1:42 PM: If you are a fan of draft trades, ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports that Utah State quarterback Jordan Love is a name to pay attention to during tonight’s first round:

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1:00 PM: Good afternoon, Browns fans! Charles Robinson of Yahoo has some good pre-draft notes this morning. Here is the one that captures our interest the most, regarding the unpredictability of the top 4 offensive tackles and what order they will go in:

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10:54 AM: So, I wonder, is this where NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will be announcing draft picks tonight?

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10:38 AM: For the first four mock drafts of the season for ESPN’s Mel Kiper, it was the same pick at No. 10 overall: OT Mekhi Becton. Kiper just released his final mock draft of the year, and he has a change for the Browns:

No. 10: Cleveland Browns - OT Andrew Thomas, Georgia - “It should be offensive tackle all the way for Cleveland, and Thomas is a three-year starter with versatility to play on the left or right side.”

Becton is now going to the Jets at No. 11, so it’s not too far of a fall for him.

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10:20 AM: If you’re looking for a consensus of who the majority of mock drafts believe the Cleveland Browns will draft at No. 10 overall, then check out SB Nation’s Mock Draft database. The distribution of top scenarios mocked to the Browns are OT Andrew Thomas (30.3%), OT Mekhi Becton (25.7%), OT Jedrick Wills (14.7%), OT Tristan Wirfs (11.0%), and trading down (10.1%).

By the way, last year, right after the draft, an early 2020 NFL Mock Draft projected OT Alaric Jackson going to the Browns. Due to an injury, Jackson decided to return to college for 2020 — but the offensive tackle position appears to be correctly projected!

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10:12 AM: Not draft related, but just too good not to point out. Punter Jamie Gillan is certainly making the most of his time in the offseason:

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9:26 AM: Early this morning, we published our annual NFL Draft Preview Roundtable discussion here at DBN, where our staff talked about Cleveland’s No. 10 & No. 41 picks, positions of need, Trent Williams, the uniqueness of this year’s draft, and more. Check it out when you have some time.

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9:18 AM: Here is your final DBN Big Board (45 players) for the Cleveland Browns, as voted on by the community! Quarterbacks were excluded from this year’s big board.

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8:35 AM: One of the things you have to think about this year is that the “war room” for all 32 teams in the NFL is taking place in people’s homes, likely with the general managers having the most sophisticated setups. A good summary of each team’s setup can be found here. Unfortunately, the only nugget we have from Browns GM Andrew Berry is this:

The best setup that I’ve seen so far is from 49ers GM John Lynch. I mean, heck, I would love to have that setup for all the things that I’m multi-tasking with right now too! Another unique story is that Seahawks GM John Schneider was having parts of his walls ripped out as recently as Tuesday, to get his house technologically prepared for whatever his draft setup will be.

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8:18 AM: ESPN’s Josina Anderson checks in with word that the Browns are still keeping their eye on Washington’s Trent Williams:

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7:30 AM: Wednesday night, Peter Schrager of FOX Sports had several nuggets that impact or relate to to the Browns, per his sources. Here are the two we are keeping an eye on, though:

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7:15 AM: Building off of that last point, the latest news on the Trent Williams front is that he could still be traded to someone, but for now, the Redskins are the ones controlling trade discussions entering the draft. In other words, Washington doesn’t want Williams and his agent shopping their own deal during or leading up to the draft, now that it’s here.

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7:00 AM: Good morning, everyone! Let’s start off with some quick primer news for tonight. The first round of the draft takes place THURSDAY, APRIL 23RD at 8:00 PM ET. The Browns have the No. 10 overall pick in the draft. Also, because of the worldwide pandemic and social distancing, the entire draft will be conducted remotely.

If Cleveland was interested in making any trades that required cap space, they are still in fairly good shape for that. According to Field Yates of ESPN, the Browns have $37.55 million in cap space, which is the most of any team picking in the first 11 slots.