For three consecutive years, the Cleveland Browns surrendered their first-round draft picks to acquire Deshaun Watson.
That means the Browns bet on themselves to find late-round gems that the team could develop into meaningful pieces, a mostly successful bet thus far.
Over the past two drafts, the Browns have selected Martin “M.J.” Emerson, Jerome Ford, and Dawand Jones – all players who will start this season – with third-round or later draft picks.
The team may soon be able to add a defensive rookie to that list.
PFF named their all-rookie preseason team, and one of the four Browns defenders taken in this year’s draft has made the list.
Cleveland practice squad member Jowon Briggs – one of the team’s seventh-round selections this year – was recognized as one of two defensive tackles on PFF’s list.
Briggs was the only Browns player selected for this list, joining Minnesota Taki Taimani – who was an undrafted free agent pickup for the Vikings – as the other defensive tackle on the all-rookie defensive squad.
Cleveland kept Briggs until the team trimmed their roster to 53 athletes last week, but the Browns immediately re-signed him to their practice squad.
Briggs – a Cincinnati, Ohio native – started college at the University of Virginia before transferring home to play for the Bearcats from 2021 until 2023.
Myles Harden – the other seventh-round selection in this year’s draft – made the team’s roster as one of five rookies to make Cleveland’s initial 53-man squad.
The Browns also drafted defensive tackle Mike Hall and linebacker Nathaniel Watson in the second and sixth rounds, respectively.
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