It seems unlikely that all nine of the Cleveland Browns selections in the 2022 NFL draft are going to make the initial 53-man roster. It is also possible that a player like WR Isaiah Weston makes the team over WR Michael Woods II despite the latter being drafted.
Counting on late-round picks to be important parts of a team is something bad teams end up doing. The Browns fanbase is used to hoping a late-day-three player can somehow become the exception to the rule.
In a lot of ways, Donovan Peoples-Jones and Demetric Felton’s flashes earlier in their career has increased that hope.
One interesting Cleveland selection is DE Isaiah Thomas. Thomas had some success the last two years at Oklahoma but fell to the seventh round. With Myles Garrett and Chase Winovich on board, the Browns added Alex Wright earlier in the draft before coming back with the Thomas selection.
A video from the Senior Bowl, a place Thomas’ former/current teammate Perrion Winfrey dominated, shows the Sooners defensive end lining up on the inside and quickly beating Cole Strange, the eventual first-round pick of the New England Patriots:
Isaiah Thomas vs. NE Patriots 1st round pick OL Cole Strange. This is why the #Browns were ecstatic to get Isaiah Thomas in round 7. He’s a traditional base 4-3 DE that has the legit versatility to play inside and use his quickness to beat Guards/Centers.
pic.twitter.com/IpWNPkxe3Q— Matt Wilson (@CoachWilson66) May 4, 2022
With Cleveland seemingly valuing pass rush over run defenders on the inside, Thomas’ ability to move to defensive tackle could give him a leg up on securing a roster spot. If Jadeveon Clowney returns, the Browns could have a lot of options along their defensive line on passing downs.
While it is just one practice snap, it is exciting to see the upside of Cleveland’s seventh-round pick versus New England’s first-round selection.