Compared to other teams, the Cleveland Browns were relatively quiet at the 2023 NFL Draft.
There's a good reason for that, though, as the Browns owed their first and second-round picks to the Houston Texans as part of the Deshaun Watson trade last year. Fortunately for the Browns, they didn't desperately need those picks. Their roster is already pretty solid, and they addressed most of their holes through free agency. With all this in mind, it may be tough for the rookies to break through right away.
That said, it could still potentially happened. While the Browns didn't have much draft capital, they seemingly made the picks they had count. For what was available, Cleveland did relatively well.
If these Browns rookies do end up pushing for starting jobs, what veterans may be at risk of losing theirs? That's what we'll attempt to answer as take a look at two Browns veterans who should be looking over their shoulders.
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Marquise Goodwin, WR
Maybe this is cheating a bit, but we're working with slim pickings so we'll allow it. Goodwin made his way to Cleveland this offseason as a late free-agency pickup. Last season with the Seattle Seahawks, Goodwin had a solid 27 receptions for 387 yards and four touchdowns.
The Browns brought in Goodwin to be a solid depth piece to their receiving corps. That's probably still the case after the draft, but that role may be smaller than before.
With their first pick in the draft, No. 74 overall in the third round, the Browns selected receiver Cedric Tillman out of Tennessee. Tillman had an outstanding 2021 season with the Volunteers, and even had some hype as a top receiver. An injury-riddled 2022 season dropped his stock, but he still has a lot of talent to make it in the NFL.
On ESPN's Browns depth chart, Tillman is the No. 4 receiver on the depth chart ahead of Goodwin. He should only ascend further up the depth chart as he gets better, which doesn't exactly bode well for Goodwin. With the newfound receiving talent the Browns have, Goodwin's time in Cleveland may be short-lived.
Jordan Elliott, DT
One of Cleveland's biggest problems last season was a lackluster defensive line. Myles Garrett was fantastic as usual, but there was very little support around him. To the Browns' credit, they have seemingly solved those problems with the addition of Dalvin Tomlinson and Za'Darius Smith, both from the Minnesota Vikings, this offseason. However, that still leaves one spot on the line open.
It seems like Elliott, who started all 17 games last season, will likely begin the season occupying that spot, but how long will that last? With the Browns drafting former Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika in the third round, it seems possible he could compete for a big role.
Ika is a massive human being, coming in at 6-3 and 335 pounds. He isn't much of a pass-rusher, but can be a monster on running plays by taking up so much space. With two strong pass-rushers in Garrett and Smith, a dedicated run-stuffer may be very valuable for the Browns.
There is one massive catch with this line of thinking, though, and that's that Tomlinson fulfills a similar role. He's almost as big as Ika and has much more NFL experience under his belt. That may make it difficult for Ika to break into the starting lineup.
Even still, Elliott isn't the most vital player for the Browns, and his future as a starter is unclear.
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