Browns Sign 2 of Top-15 Undrafted Free Agents to Defense

Getty Cleveland Browns owner Jimmy Haslam and GM Andrew Berry

The Cleveland Browns got a late start to the 2023 NFL Draft and have been attempting to make up for it in the days since.

Cleveland selected just seven players over draft weekend. The first was wide receiver Cedric Tillman of Tennessee with the 73rd overall pick in the third round, and the last was center Luke Wypler of Ohio State at pick No. 190 in round six. Since the draft proceedings concluded on April 29, the franchise has focused on the defensive side of the football while exploring the undrafted free agent market.

Jonathon Macri of Pro Football Focus (PFF) on Wednesday, May 3, authored a list of the top-10 most valuable undrafted free agents and included seven honorable mentions. On Sunday, the Browns signed two of those players — safety Ronnie Hickman of Ohio State and edge rusher Lonnie Phillips of Kansas.

Ronnie Hickman Had 5th-Round Grade Heading Into NFL Draft

GettyThe Cleveland Browns signed safety Ronnie Hickman, formerly of the Ohio State Buckeyes, as an undrafted free agent on Sunday, May 7, 2023.

Based on Marci’s assessment, Hickman should have been selected on the third and final day of the draft. PFF assigned Hickman a fifth-round grade based on its analytics formula, placing the safety just one slot outside the top-10 available players at his position in the 2023 class.

“Hickman is coming off of a breakout season for the Buckeyes in 2022, posting an 88.9 coverage grade on the back of five pass breakups, an interception, a 43.3% reception rate and allowing a 39.2 NFL passer rating,” Marci wrote.

“The Browns could end up getting a fair bit of use out of Hickman on a thin safety depth chart,” Marci continued. “He has 91st percentile arm length and the coverage ability to potentially play a rotational role when needed behind Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill.”

Lonnie Phelps Offers Depth to Browns’ Thin Defensive End Position

GettyQuarterback Max Duggan of the TCU Horned Frogs is tackled by safety Kenny Logan Jr. (left) and defensive end Lonnie Phelps (right) of the Kansas Jayhawks during a game in October 2022.

Phelps is also joining a unit that might be able to use his services next season based on a general lack of pass-rushing depth across the Browns’ defensive line.

Myles Garrett is an All-Pro player and Ogbonnia Okoronkwo had a breakout season with the Houston Texans in 2022 before inking a three-year contract to join the Browns in March. The backups are Alex Wright, a third-round pick in 2022, and rookie Isaiah McGuire, who Cleveland selected in the fourth round this year.

The Browns selected McGuire at 126th overall, while PFF ranked Phelps as the 178th prospect in 2023. That translates to a sixth-round grade and a projection of being drafted at some point on Day 3. Phelps racked up 15.5 sacks over his final two collegiate campaigns, per Football Reference.

There aren’t scores of NFL success stories featuring undrafted free agents, but too many exist to call one a rarity. The combination of Hickman’s and Phelps’ analytics-based draft grades with the lack of depth at their respective positions on the Browns’ depth chart puts each player in a unique spot to succeed as team workouts begin over the coming weeks.

Reasonable chances also exist that the Browns will continue adding at both safety and edge rusher following the team’s release of starters John Johnson III and Jadeveon Clowney.