The Cleveland Browns' 2023 NFL draft added seven new players to the team as well as several undrafted rookies. Thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade, Cleveland didn’t join the draft until the third round, so pretty much every draft pick this year can qualify as a Browns' rookie sleeper. The player with the best chance to earn that title in 2023, though, is the team’s second third-round pick out of Baylor, defensive tackle Siaki Ika.

DT Siaki Ika is the Browns rookie sleeper to watch in 2023

Over the course of the last year, all the talk surrounding the Cleveland Browns was about the Deshaun Watson trade, his massive fully-guaranteed contract, his suspension, and the quarterback’s performance when he returned.

With all the drama surrounding Watson, the Browns defense — which struggled in 2022 — has largely avoided the criticism it deserves.

The team allowed the 13th-most points in the NFL last season (381) and the 18th-most yards (5,631). Digging deeper into the numbers, the unit was particularly bad against the run, allowing the eighth-most rushing yards in the league last season (2,295).

Watson didn’t play all that well last season. Fans could see the rust on him after nearly two years away from the game, but he’s not the only reason the Browns finished a disappointing 7-10 and missed the playoffs.

The defense needs to get better, especially against the run, to not allow teams long, clock-killing drives that keep Watson and the offense on the sidelines.

With the second Browns’ draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the team addressed this issue by selecting Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika.

Ika is a massive 6-foot-3, 335-pound nose tackle who started his career at LSU before transferring to Baylor. He is a block-eating, gap-controlling run stuffer who NFL.com compares to a player Browns fans know well, 2015 first-round pick Danny Shelton.

Shelton started 45 games for the Browns over the course of three seasons and has gone on to be a solid player for the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions, New York Giants, and Kansas City Chiefs, picking up two Super Bowl rings along the way.

Taking the new Danny Shelton in the third round is a great move by the Browns, and if Siaki Ika turns into a player like Shelton this season, he will be the Browns' rookie sleeper in 2023.

However, Ika has a chance to become an even better player than Shelton because, while he is just as big as the former Browns nose tackle, he brings more quickness and athleticism to the table.

As a Browns rookie, Ika should immediately become one of the better run-stuffers in the NFL. He drives offensive linemen back into the backfield and has the quickness to make plays on running backs inside and outside the tackle box.

Ika also has upside as a pass rusher. Defensive tackles who can collapse the pocket on opposing QBs are incredibly valuable in the modern NFL, and with the Browns, keeping Ika on the field for passing downs (as long as his weight and conditioning can support that) could be helpful.

With Myles Garrett and now Za’Darius Smith on the outside, opposing offenses will have to decide whether to double-team Ika on the inside or leave blocking him to a center giving up 30 or more pounds.

This Browns' rookie sleeper isn’t going to be Aaron Donald in year one (or probably ever), but he has the potential to help the Cleveland defense in the area it needs the most help, against the run.

If Siaki Ika can help the Browns D allow just 10% fewer yards next season, the rushing defense will go from a bottom 10 unit to the middle of the pack. If he helps limit teams’ rushing yards to 20% less than last season, Cleveland will have a top-10 rushing defense on its hands.

And stopping the run is crucial to the Browns' success. The team will have one of the best pass-rushing tandems in the league next season and a secondary improved by the addition of former Chiefs safety Juan Thornhill.

Stopping long, clock-sucking drives and getting the ball back to Deshaun Watson in 2023 will be the key to the team winning more games. After a (relatively) drama-free offseason and time to prepare as the starter for a brutal Week 1 matchup vs. the defending Super Bowl champions Chiefs, Watson should hit the ground running for the first time in years.

And if that happens, Cleveland will be a force in eth AFC North, and that could be thanks in large part to the Browns' rookie sleeper, Siaki Ika.