CLEVELAND, Ohio — With the Browns’ first-round selection of Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham after they traded down three spots from the No. 2 pick and Colorado’s Travis Hunter, they will have more ammunition and an additional second round pick Friday night for Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
They open the second night with the No. 33 overall pick and will quickly come back with No. 36. Cleveland also owns Nos. 67 and 94 in the third round.
The Browns are expected to take a quarterback among their offensive needs. If they continue to shape the defense, they could consider these 11 players:
Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 248 pounds
Why consider him? There are two edge rushers initially projected to go in the first round who slipped, and let’s address them first. Ezeiruaku is the Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, earning consensus All-America honors. He tied Boston College’s single-season record with 16.5 sacks, which led the country through the regular season. So why is he still available? “Ezeiruaku is a smaller outside linebacker-type edge rusher who can struggle with the power aspects of the game,” according to Pro Football Focus. “However, his quick, smooth style paired with high football IQ and some very nice bend make him an ideal 3-4 pass rush type of defender to draft on Day 2.”
Mike Green, Marshall edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-3, 251
Why consider him? Green led FBS teams with 17 sacks and received All-America honors from several publications as a redshirt sophomore in 2024. His output tied Cecil Fletcher’s Sun Belt record for sacks, set in 1986. PFF ranked him ahead of Ezeiruaku as the 10th best player in the draft, but acknowledged he has not played against the best competition. “However, he absolutely dominated the way you’d want a future NFL player to with elite pass-rush and run-defense grades in addition to high-90th-percentile numbers in win rate and run stops,” PFF noted. “He has top-50 all-around ability and projects as a starting-caliber outside linebacker in a 3-4 front.” That scheme fit could keep both Green and Ezeiruaku off the Browns’ board, but the value proposition is still worth considering.
Oluwafemi Oladejo, UCLA edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-3, 259
Why consider him? If he falls to the third round, he could be worth the risk for the Browns after becoming a full-time starter last season as a senior. Oladejo totaled 57 tackles with 13.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. His best game of the season came at Penn State with 10 tackles, two TFL and a sack. Pro Football Focus noted he is not full polished as a pass rusher. PFF noted, “His athleticism, explosiveness and long arms are a nice foundation, and it appears his best years as a pass-rusher are still ahead.”
Jack Sawyer, Ohio State edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-5, 260
Why consider him? Sawyer’s draft stock has seemed to slip since his play helped Ohio State to the College Football Playoff national championship. He is ranked 17th by PFF among available defensive ends in the draft and 92nd overall. ESPN also has him 17th among edge rushers.
Nic Scourton, Texas A&M edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-4, 285
Why consider him? Scourton came in as a borderline first rounder, ranked 29th overall by PFF and 64th by ESPN. He also visited the Browns, who could add him to their edge rushing group around the franchise anchor in Myles Garrett. Scourton entered the draft after his junior season in which he made the All-Southeastern Conference first team with five sacks and 14 TFL. By comparison, Stewart also had five sacks with 5.5 TFL and made the All-SEC third team.
J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-5, 269
Why consider him? While Sawyer has the Ohio connection, Tuimoloau is expected to go before his teammate. PFF ranks him 56th overall and 11th among edge rushers, while ESPN has him eighth among ends. Tuimoloau made the All-Big Ten first team on three occasions and finished in the top 10 for sacks and TFLs in Ohio State history. Last season, he totaled 61 tackles with 6.5 sacks and 10 TFL.
Princely Umanmielen, Mississippi edge rusher
Height, weight: 6-4, 255
Why consider him? Umanmielen started at Florida before transferring last year to SEC rival Ole Miss. He received multiple All-America nods with the Rebels and tied for the team lead with 10.5 sacks, plus a team-high 14 QB hurries and 37 tackles. PFF projects him as a better fit for a 3-4 defense, which could make him not as enticing in the second round, where he will likely go.
DB Will Johnson, Michigan
Will Johnson, Michigan cornerback
Height, weight: 6-2, 194
Why consider him? Johnson could be a steal at No. 33 — and especially No. 36, if they take a quarterback to start the second round — considering he was widely considered the second-best cornerback in this draft after Hunter. Johnson entered last season with his stock high after two All-American seasons at Michigan with a national championship, but injuries hampered him last season. That’s why he’s fallen, and ESPN’s Adam Schefter confirmed Johnson’s knee injury has concerned teams. While this isn’t a need on the surface, considering Cleveland has Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II and Martin Emerson Jr., that won’t be a certainty within a year. Newsome and Emerson are in the final year of their contracts, which will put the team at a crossroads by next offseason.
Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame cornerback
Height, weight: 6-0, 193
Why consider him? An injury history also doesn’t help Morrison, who remains on the board with a No. 32 overall ranking from PFF. He played in six games last season because of a hip injury. The Fighting Irish lost him in mid-October after he compiled 20 tackles with four pass breakups. He had six interceptions in 2022 as a freshman and three more in 2023 before the injury, which some reports suggest won’t hold him back. “Morrison is a smart, smooth-moving man coverage cornerback with good instincts for making plays on the ball,” according to PFF. “Getting back to form after hip surgery and getting a bit stronger are the keys to a future starting outside cornerback role in a man coverage system — but really any system.”
CB Benjamin Morrison, Notre Dame
Shemar Turner, Texas A&M defensive tackle
Height, weight: 6-3, 290
Why consider him? With the selection of Graham, it’s unlikely the Browns use another high pick on an interior defensive lineman. If they go with another one in the third round, Turner could be a fit after coming up with 36 tackles, 5.5 TFL and two sacks last season for the Aggies. After letting go of Dalvin Tomlinson earlier this offseason, the Browns defensive interior has gotten younger with Graham joining last year’s second-round pick Mike Hall.
Carson Schwesinger, UCLA linebacker
Height, weight: 6-2, 225
Why consider him? Linebackers don’t go high in the draft. Remember when Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah fell to the Browns in the second round? Only Georgia’s Jalon Walker and Alabama’s Jihaad Campbell went in the first round Thursday, with Walker plucked by the Atlanta Falcons at No. 15 and the Eagles moving up to take Campbell at No. 31. That leaves Schwesinger as arguably the best available player at linebacker, where the Browns just added Jerome Baker on a one-year deal and have Devin Bush re-signed for another season. South Carolina’s Demetrius Knight Jr. is another linebacker high on most boards.
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