Howdy folks! Welcome to The Pick Is In! That’s right, we’re back for another run with this experiment and can’t wait to see what our GMs, err, writers can cook up. If you’re unfamiliar with this series, lemme paint the picture for you. Our writers will be stepping up to the plate for a NFL franchise and act as if they have full control of the team on draft day. For each team, we’ll have two or three writers step into the front office and take over as general manager. You’ll see picks made from No. 1 overall to a sixth-rounder, bold picks will be made in unique spots, and trades will be cooked up. To highlight some of our success from 2022, we saw the Bengals trade up to take a star named Tariq Woolen in the mid 40s, the Packers snagged a stud in Jalen Pitre with the 28th overall pick, and with the 98th overall pick, the Saints struck gold with the valuable Zach Tom. This year will be no different. Our GMs will once again be showcasing their unique abilities to find intriguing talent. Whether you know it or not, the draft has already begun and it resumes with The Pick Is In. Welcome to the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cleveland Browns are on the clock…
Brendan Heffernan:
The Pick Is In: Daiyan Henley ILB — Washington State (3rd Round, 98th Overall)
The middle of the Browns’ defense last year was truly putrid, in large part because they couldn’t piece together a linebacker rotation capable of staying out of the injury tent. Top LBs Anthony Walker Jr., Jeremiah Owosu-Koramoah, Jacob Phillips and Sione Takitaki all ended up on the injured reserve. As a result of that revolving door, Cleveland stayed near the bottom of the league in every major run defense metric, including 28th in Football Outsiders’ Run Defense DVOA efficiency stat. Cleveland would be wise to use one of its third round picks to shore up its inside linebacker depth with someone capable of competing for a starting job.
Washington State’s Daiyan Henley would be outstanding value for Cleveland at the end of the third round. Henley had a highly productive college career, spending five seasons in Nevada’s program spending time as a wide receiver and safety before finding a home in the front seven. Henley played out his last year of eligibility in Pullman, where he earned First Team All-Pac-12 honors.
— FBVids (@vids_fb) April 12, 2023
As his background as a defensive back and wide receiver might suggest, Henley’s best traits are his closing speed and explosiveness, which is elite for the inside linebacker position. He projects to be a dynamic weapon as a blitzer at the next level. His open field tackling ability is also outstanding, and he’s proved to be an opportunistic player in zone coverage. I really like the idea of him as the middle of the field player in Cover 2 or as the “rat” in certain Cover 1 packages.
Daiyan Henley (#1) is not Fred Warner.
— Brett Kollmann (@BrettKollmann) February 20, 2023
BUT...if there was ever a super athletic, 230lb former receiver turned linebacker prospect that could do some Fred Warner-ish things on a football field as a value pick in the 3rd or maybe 4th round.....it's probably Daiyan Henley! pic.twitter.com/k0bywRkIpD
Henley isn’t necessarily an overpowering force tacking on blockers in the run game, but he’s slippery enough to be productive. He’ll be an older rookie, but his limited experience shows up in his vision which will lead to some ugly plays early on.
Karan Jangra:
The Pick Is In: Marvin Mims Jr. WR — Oklahoma (3rd Round, 98th Overall)
Cleveland’s passing offense was shockingly ineffective last season, most evidently after starting quarterback Deshaun Watson returned from his 11-game suspension. Part of it obviously falls on the Browns’ QB performance and play-calling, however, a lack of separation from any receiver on the roster not named Amari Cooper certainly didn’t help. It should come as no surprise that the team has already dipped into the receiver market this offseason, trading a Day 2 pick for Elijah Moore, but I would still be shocked if they didn’t use one of their first picks in the draft on another wideout. Who better to take a flier on than one of the most fascinating, yet overlooked, players in this draft in Oklahoma’s Marvin Mims Jr.?
To say Mims is an odd case would be an understatement. The 21-year-old seemingly checks all the boxes in terms of production, athleticism and upside… yet with only a few weeks until draft day it seems nobody is talking about him among this year’s top WR prospects.
Fighting the masculine urge to hype up Marvin Mims Jr. off the 1-2 highlight plays he made every few games pic.twitter.com/bgdCz9JAGd
— karan (@905Kar) April 17, 2023
Mims would offer an element of explosiveness to the Browns offense that they’ve lacked in recent years. His route tree is far from developed, but you don’t have to look too far into his Oklahoma tape to see him single-handedly take the top off of secondaries and come down with highlight reel catches. He’ll also bring the added versatility of being able to line up both in the slot and out wide.
If nothing else, Mims can stretch the field for a team like Cleveland and help realize the true potential of its passing attack. For teams that are looking for a receiver on Day 2 of this year’s draft, look no further than this 21-year-old vertical threat with three years of good production with three different quarterbacks.
About the author
Proud California Golden Bears fan and aspiring football mind. I specialize in Pac-12 and NFL Draft coverage. My past experiences in journalism include covering the San Francisco 49ers, as well as creating film breakdowns on my own blog. I love the X’s and O’s just as much as anyone else, but also see value in numbers. My favorite CFB game ever was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma and Boise State.
