BEREA — The Browns have spent the first rounds of the last two drafts on the outside looking in at all of the excitement. They're going to be doing so again Thursday when the 2024 draft gets underway.
That's been part of the cost the Browns had to pay when they traded for quarterback Deshaun Watson two years ago. However, that debt will be fulfilled when the Houston Texans use the No. 28 pick next week.
Browns general manager Andrew Berry downplayed how much of an impact not having a first-round pick was having on him.
"You want as many picks, as many high picks as possible," Berry said during Thursday's pre-draft availability. "I wouldn't say that I miss it on Thursday or Friday night. I'm probably more focused on the players we can acquire and they're not necessarily the end-all be-all. They're a great resource to have, but how you can deploy them can be in a variety of ways."
The Browns have six picks in next week's draft. They'll have one each in the second (No. 54), third (No. 85), fifth (No. 156) and sixth (No. 205) rounds, as well as two (Nos. 227 and 243) in the seventh.
If the Browns stay at 54, or stay in the second round in general, it will be the first time they've picked before the third round since 2021. They've dealt away their second-round pick, as well as their first, in each of last two drafts.
Berry wasn't about to tip his hand to exactly what next week's plans held. However, he did try to provide at least a bit of insight into the thinking that would go into any movement away from the second round.
"It really just depends on how the board falls if I'm being truthful," Berry said. "So I'm not sure as we sit here today. We'll see if we can break the trend of making it three years in a row without a second-round pick."
The reality for Berry is that the entire weekend's plan are tentative, and not just because the Browns don't know how the rest of the draft will play out. There's also the amount of ammunition they have in terms of picks to swap in order to move around the board.
The Browns have the six picks in this year's draft if they wanted to move. They also have eight in next year's draft, including three sixth-round and one seventh-round picks.
"I mean, it's obviously less flexible than if you have your full slate of picks," Berry said, "but that doesn't mean that you can't manage your resources creatively to whether it's to increase the volume or increase the quality. So a large part of it will depend on what's available and what dance partners we may or may not have."
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns GM Andrew Berry doesn't 'miss' 1st-round draft picks
