CLEVELAND, Ohio — As Andrew Berry and the Browns get ready for the 2025 NFL Draft, which may be the most consequential of his tenure as general manager, we’re looking back at each of his previous five drafts to see how he’s done.

We’ll examine each of the picks Berry and the Browns made, pick a player or two who could have been better choices at those slots and who would also have been worse than the player they selected.

Our series concludes today as we look at the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Browns had only six picks to work with, just two of which were in the top 150, as they paid off the final of the three first-round picks owed to Houston in the Deshaun Watson trade. This was also the first draft since 2021 that Berry and the Browns used a second-round pick.

Drafts are almost impossible to grade after just one year. So instead of giving letter grades, we’re going to grade picks about how they are trending after their rookie seasons such as stock up, steady, stock down or incomplete.

Here is our early look back at how the Browns did in the 2024 NFL Draft.

You can also check out the earlier editions of this series at the bottom of this post.

2nd round, 54th overall: DT Mike Hall Jr.

The Browns were the last team in the NFL to go on the clock for the first time in this draft, but they made a popular pick by drafting the former Buckeye and Streetsboro Rocket.

However, Hall’s career did not start well as he was suspended for the first five games of his rookie season for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy. He pled no contest to disorderly conduct in September after being originally charged with first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence against his fiancé. When he got on the field, he showed some exciting potential with a sack and three tackles for loss in eight games. He also graded out well with a 67.7 overall grade in 2024 according to Pro Football Focus.

Hall suffered a knee injury and was carted off the field in the final game of the season against the Ravens.

Who could have been a better choice?

Several players drafted after Hall became immediate starters. Tackle Roger Rosengarten, the 62nd overall pick of the Ravens, quickly became one of their starters on the offensive line. Brandon Coleman, the 67th overall pick to the Commanders, started 12 of his team’s final 13 games.

The Packers made Georgia safety Javon Bullard the 59th pick, and he started 11 games as a rookie. He finished with 61 solo tackles, two for a loss, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

Who could have been a worse choice?

CB Ennis Rakestraw Jr. was the 61st pick of the draft to the Detroit Lions. Injuries limited his rookie season to just eight games, and he recorded just six total tackles, including four solo stops.

The Jets used the 65th pick on Western Kentucky WR Malachi Corley and he did not have a good rookie season, catching just three passes for 16 yards.

Grade: Stock up.

The suspension at the start of the season was a bad way for Hall to start his career. But he made up for lost time by playing disruptive football when he was on the field and looked like a potential high-end starter.

The question will be what kind of leap he can make in Year 2, but that depends on how significant his knee injury is and how much of his offseason will be dedicated to him rehabbing it. So it won’t be shocking if the starts slowly in 2025 before picking things up.

3rd round, 85th overall: G Zak Zinter

After drafting a Buckeye in the second round, the Browns drafted a Michigan Wolverine with their next pick by taking Zinter to add depth to the offensive line. Zinter was considered the heart and soul of Michigan’s offensive line.

However, he suffered a broken tibia and fibula in the win vs. Ohio State in November 2023.

Zinter appeared in all 17 games for the Browns as a rookie, starting three. But he really struggled as a rookie, which was to be expected considering the significant injury he came back from.

Who could have been a better choice?

The very next player drafted after Zinter was Dominick Puni, who was picked by the 49ers. He instantly made an impact, starting all 17 games last season for San Francisco.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took not one, but two impactful offensive skill players following the Zinter selection. WR Jalen McMillan was the 92nd selection and he had 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns.

At pick 125, the Buccaneers got one of the steals of the entire draft in RB Bucky Irving, He is the only player in this class so far to have 1,000 yards rushing, finishing with 1,122 yards and eight TDs.

Who could have been a worse choice?

The Packers picked Missouri linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper with the 91st pick. Despite playing all 17 games, Hopper, who mostly played on special teams as a rookie, finished with just nine tackles in 2024.

Alabama DT Justin Eboigbe was drafted by the Chargers with pick No. 105. He appeared in only five games of the Chargers as a rookie and only had two total tackles.

Grade: Incomplete.

I had felt that 2024 should have been as much of a redshirt season as possible for Zinter considering he had to spend his pre-draft process rehabbing from his broken leg. That’s what makes it hard for me to be very harsh with Zinter.

He will need to get stronger this offseason to show that he deserves to be part of the future of the Browns offensive line. We will also have to see how he grows under new offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren and offensive coordinator Tommy Rees.

5th round, 156th overall: WR Jamari Thrash

In what I felt was a generational receiver class, the Browns tried to get into that mix by drafting the crafty Louisville receiver with the 156th pick.

Thrash looked poised to make an impact after a promising preseason, catching 10 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.

But with veterans in front of him and an offense that struggled throughout the season, Thrash made very little impact. He caught three passes for 22 yards and was credited for two drops.

Who could have been a better choice?

The Giants had a nice find with pick No. 166 when they selected Purdue running back Tyrone Tracy Jr. He finished second only to Bucky Irving in yards among rookie running backs as he had 839 yards and five TDs on 192 carries. Tracy also caught 38 passes for 284 yards and a TD.

Who could have been a worse choice?

The Colts selected Auburn safety Jaylin Simpson with the 164th overall pick in the draft. However, he did not make the roster out of Colts camp, and he finished the year on the Jets roster. Simpson did not play a regular season snap as a rookie.

Other rookies who did not play in 2024 and were picked after Thrash included Jets quarterback Jordan Travis (pick No. 171) and Steelers defensive tackle Logan Lee (pick No. 178).

Grade: Stock down.

Thrash was a player who looked like he might have made some impact after a nice preseason. But he was buried behind veterans on the depth chart and didn’t make the most of his chances, though this was partly due to the problems the Browns had at quarterback and in the passing game.

It wouldn’t be a shocker if the Browns added another receiver or two this offseason, meaning Thrash might have to compete to keep his spot on the team. That said, it’s not that uncommon an outcome for a fifth-round pick.

6th round, 206th overall: LB Nathaniel Watson

Watson went to the Browns in the sixth round fresh off being the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 at Mississippi State.

He did get a start as a rookie, but he spent most of his rookie season on special teams. Watson played in 14 games as a rookie and had 14 tackles, 10 of which were solos, and a pass breakup.

He had three games of three tackles, two of which were vs. the Ravens.

Who could have been a better choice?

Arkansas center Beaux Limmer went to the Rams with the 217th pick, and it didn’t take him long to become a starter. Limmer started 14 games for the Rams as a rookie and also started the playoff games against the Vikings and Eagles.

Who could have been a worse choice?

The Bills made two picks after the Watson selection, neither of whom have played an NFL snap. Cornerback Daequan Hardy from Penn State was cut after training camp and finished the year on Buffalo’s practice squad. Offensive tackle Travis Clayton, who is from Great Britain, was placed on season ending injured reserve on Aug. 27.

Grade: Steady.

Watson had the kind of rookie season I mostly expected out of him: get a lot of reps on special teams and eventually work into the defense. He did a solid job in his role.

You don’t really expect too much out of sixth-round picks, especially in the later part of the round. If Watson can take a step forward and really solidify himself as a rotational piece, that’s pretty solid value.

7th round, 227th overall: CB Myles Harden

Andrew Berry’s nearly annual selection of a cornerback didn’t come until the seventh round when he selected the former South Dakota corner.

Harden was considered a slight steal early in the seventh round.

But injuries limited Harden to just four games played in 2024. He finished with five tackles, three of which were solos.

Who could have been a better choice?

Denver found itself a good steal with pick 235 in Utah receiver Devaughn Vele. He emerged as an intriguing receiver option for Bo Nix as he caught 41 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns.

Who could have been a worse choice?

The next two players drafted after Harden — Ravens center Nick Samac and Raiders defensive back M.J. Devonshire — have yet to take an NFL snap.

Grade: Incomplete.

There’s not much you can judge Harden off considering he was limited to just four games and 112 snaps so far in the NFL. Like Watson, he will need a good offseason to show he has value higher than his pick slot.

7th round, 243rd overall: DT Jowon Briggs

The Browns started their draft off by drafting an Ohio native at defensive tackle, and they ended their draft the same way by selecting Briggs with their final pick.

The Cincinnati Walnut Hills alum didn’t appear in a game for the Browns until the Monday night trip to Denver in early December. But he played very well in the six games he played.

He, like Hall, passed the analytic test as Briggs had a PFF grade of 72.2.

Who could have been a better choice?

There weren’t any players drafted after Briggs who made notable impact.

But one undrafted player who did is receiver Jalen Coker, who signed with the Panthers.

Coker was one of the beneficiaries of Bryce Young’s midseason leap as he caught 32 passes for 478 yards and two touchdowns.

Who could have been a worse choice?

Nine players drafted after Briggs have yet to appear in an NFL game. One of the five drafted after Briggs who did play was guard C.J. Hanson, the 248th pick to the Chiefs. He appeared in one game in 2024.

Grade: Stock up

In some ways, seeing Briggs perform the way he has may already have him slightly exceeding his draft slot. Late seventh-round picks almost never see the field and find a way to possibility impact their team.

Briggs has the makings of a solid rotational defensive tackle throughout his rookie contract, but he might also have the potential to do more.

Overall grade: Stock up

With very limited draft capital, the Browns had a big challenge trying to find a lot of impact. That said, Hall’s potential as an eventual starter at defensive tackle and Briggs’ late-season emergence are both positive signs for this class.

It’s too early to write off Zinter or Thrash despite disappointing rookie seasons. That said, they both need a good offseason to prove they can have an impact in their rookie contracts.