1 undrafted free agent who will make Browns’ 2024 roster

Now that the 2024 NFL Draft is well over, it’s time for teams like the Cleveland Browns to start figuring out their eventual 53-man roster.

The Browns made just six total draft picks in this year’s draft. They didn’t even make their first pick until No. 54 in the second round, selecting Ohio State defensive tackle Michael Hall Jr. That’s due to the trade they made with the Houston Texans a couple of years ago for quarterback Deshaun Watson.

It’s hard to say if the Watson trade has truly paid off yet. The quarterback was injured most of last season, leaving the job for veteran Joe Flacco, who is now with the Indianapolis Colts. But through Flacco, the Browns made their return to the playoffs, even if they did have an early exit. They’ll hope to make it back to the postseason in 2024, but they’re going to need the right team to get there.

For the Browns, they’re hoping those six draft picks they made, along with some veteran free agent signings, can help build the team to win in 2024. However, they did leave some room on their roster for nine undrafted free agents.

Here they are:

• Aidan Robbins, RB
• Ahmarean Brown, WR
• Treyton Welch, TE
• Javion Cohen, OG
• Lorenzo Thompson, OL
• Jalen Sundell, OT
• Winston Reid, LB
• Chris Edmonds, S
• DyShawn Gales, DB

Looking at all nine undrafted free agents, if we had to pick only one to make the 53-man roster on the next-to-last Tuesday before the regular season begins, it would probably be Miami Hurricanes offensive guard Javion Cohen.

Miami’s Javion Cohen has the best chance to make the Browns’ 53-man roster

Ask any team in the NFL, and they’ll probably tell you that you can never have enough offensive line depth. The position, which often gets overlooked and goes unnamed by fans, is one of the most important to an NFL team’s success. Last year’s Browns team would be the first to tell you how important offensive line depth is after they lost three of their linemen to season-ending injuries. That’s why Javion Cohen could make his way onto the Browns’ 53-man roster.

Some were surprised by Cohen not getting drafted. Then again, he didn’t quite have the season at guard everyone expected him to have last year. In 13 games last season, he had just a 59.4 offensive grade, never grading higher than a 67 in any game for the Hurricanes, according to Pro-Football-Focus. However, he did grade well in pass-blocking, grading 75.8 overall, and 80-plus in four games. It was his run-blocking that was concerning, where he graded just 55.3 for the season, with a grade of below 60 in eight games.

Cohen is a former four-star recruit who began his collegiate career at Alabama, spending three seasons in Tuscaloosa. The 6-foot-4, 304-pounder may have had a bit of a setback year in Miami last season, but it’s important to remember that he could still be a valuable asset to the Browns. His time in Alabama is still noteworthy, plus his Senior Bowl performance, where he went against some big-name defensive tackles.

It is worth noting that the Browns did sign two offensive linemen in free agency, Hakeem Adeniji and Germain Ifedi. But it’s possible those guys were signed merely for camp purposes and that they could very well get cut if the team likes Cohen or one of the other undrafted free agents.