Browns draft picks have more value than Bengals, Ravens & 5 other teams have

If fans only knew about the NFL draft based on the movie “Draft Day” there would be a notion that only first and second rounds picks matter. Sadly, often due to how the media portrays and discusses selections, some fans start to believe that fairy tale.

First and second-round picks are vital to building a team but are not the only way a team can improve. Overall, the NFL draft is a crap shoot with very few teams ever hitting on 50% of their picks.

The Cleveland Browns do not have a first or second-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft. Trading away multiple first-round picks for QB Deshaun Watson will be considered problematic unless he returns to top 5-10 level quarterbacking.

Trading down to acquire WR Elijah Moore, and pick #74, in exchange for pick #42 in the second round looks like good value but we haven’t seen Moore on the field yet.

When looking at draft pick trades, for years the “Jimmy Johnson trade chart” has been used. Johnson put together his chart back during his Dallas Cowboys days and many held fast to it.

More recently, the “Fitzgerald-Spielberger chart” has been closer to matching how NFL teams are valuing NFL draft picks. Using the F-S chart, the value of each team’s draft picks was put together on a scale. Surprisingly, seven teams have less value, overall, than Cleveland:

Each segment in the picture represents the value of one of each team’s selections. While the Browns do not have a pick with more value than either of the Cincinnati Bengals first two selections, the two teams become seemingly tied after Cleveland’s first four selections catch up with Cincinnati’s first three.

Overall, the Browns have a number of picks in the middle rounds that add value (six selections between rounds 3, 4 and 5) even if they do not have the value of the quality selections in the first two rounds.

In the end, how Berry uses his eight picks will decide how the 2023 NFL draft goes for Cleveland. Going into the draft, the Browns have a little more value overall than many would expect.