The Cleveland Browns used their first couple of picks to get Deshaun Watson and then move down to restock the pantry thanks to the Deshaun Watson trade. So, that means that they were light on premium picks to get impact players. Still, they ended up getting one who should have 2022 fantasy football value, as well as two others. What should we expect from the Cleveland Browns’ rookies in 2022 fantasy football?
FULL CLEVELAND BROWNS DRAFT RESULTS
| Rd. | Pick | Player | Pos. | College |
| 3 | 78 | Alex Wright | DE | Ala-Birmingham |
| 3 | 99 | David Bell | WR | Purdue |
| 4 | 108 | Perrion Winfrey | DT | Oklahoma |
| 4 | 124 | Cade York | K | LSU |
| 5 | 156 | Jerome Ford | RB | Cincinnati |
| 6 | 202 | Michael Woods | WR | Oklahoma |
| 7 | 223 | Isaiah Thomas | DE | Oklahoma |
| 7 | 246 | Dawson Deaton | OL | Texas Tech |
Round 3, Pick 99 Overall: David Bell, Wide Receiver, Purdue (6’1” 212 lbs)
Depth Chart:
WR1: Amari Cooper
WR2: David Bell
WR3: Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR4: Anthony Schwartz
WR5: Jakeem Grant
WR6: Javon Wims
WR7: Michael Woods II
TALENT
David Bell is not a burner, and that soured me on him in the first game I watched of him (Notre Dame) because Purdue tried to use him like that. That’s… not smart on their part. As I continued to watch Bell, I learned that he is not a burner, but it doesn’t matter. Bell is always open underneath, and even in the few times he is not, it doesn’t matter. Bell has incredible hands, strength, and body positioning to always give his quarterback a viable target for catches. He obliterates zone coverage and finds plenty of success against man coverage to put it all together. The fact that he’s somewhat slow (which not only hurts him deep but limits his YAC) might hurt him from hitting the upper echelons of fantasy football superstardom, but all of that is also true of Keenan Allen.
2022 OPPORTUNITY
I feel really good about David Bell’s opportunities with the Cleveland Browns, as he is a player the team needs, and is someone who can contribute right off the bat. The Browns have a medium-area threat with Amari Cooper and enough deep threats with DPJ and Anthony Schwartz. David Bell gives them an Anquan Boldin-style presence, a tough, “my ball” receiver who will destroy oppositions underneath en route to moving the chains for Deshaun Watson & the Browns.
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I feel great about Bell in PPR leagues, and I am going out of my way to get him in those formats. In standard formats, not so much. It’s unlikely that Bell gets a lot of targets that will convert into touchdowns, and it’s far more likely that his fantasy football relevance gets carried by a high number of high volume, high catch rate targets. Think former Brown Jarvis Landry, who averaged 100 catches for 1,010 yards per season in Miami. Not a lot of high-value targets, but a lot of short-area targets that will convert at a high rate. Because of this, I feel great about his outlook.
TALENT
2022 OPPORTUNITY
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 5, Pick 156 Overall: Jerome Ford, Running Back, Cincinnati (5’11” 210 lbs)
Depth Chart:
RB1: Nick Chubb
RB2: Kareem Hunt
RB3: D’Ernest Johnson
RB4: Jerome Ford
TALENT
I’m told that Jerome Ford is fast, but it’s impossible to get the guy into space to see. He has no vision, no elusiveness, no suddenness, and he didn’t make a single correct decision in the two games I watched. He got rinsed by the run defense of a then 1-6 Tulane team. Ford is fast so he will get a lot of publicity for that (apparently) but he will need a smart team to take advantage of that speed and his pass-catching abilities to generate touches in space to get him space. I doubt the Browns are that team, but they could be.
Unfortunately, he will need a lot of space because once he gets within a yard of a defender, a magnetic force pulls him slowly toward the defender because he’s not sure if he wants to punish the tackler or evade him, so instead, he runs into his warm embrace. He’s going to top out as the short side of a platoon as a third-down back if and when the Browns move on from Kareem Hunt, but he could have a stranglehold on the position for a long time because he is an exceptional pass catcher and a very good pass blocker, as well. He plays much, much smaller than 5’11” and 215 pounds, which will limit his upside in the NFL.
2022 OPPORTUNITY
I don’t see a lot of touches for Ford this season. He’s likely their Kareem Hunt replacement in 2023. Should they move on from Hunt in a surprising move, then he will likely get the pass-catching role while D’Ernest Johnson absorbs the banger role. It’s more likely that Johnson and Chubb absorb the good touches in the offense while Ford ends up catching passes, should the Browns move on from Hunt (or should he suffer an injury).
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
I don’t see a good path forward for Ford in 2022 unless the Browns end up with some significant injuries in the running back room. Even then, Deshaun Watson is more likely to run the football than dump it off, should the opportunity arise. You can safely ignore Ford (barring injury) in your 2022 redraft leagues.
TALENT
2022 OPPORTUNITY
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
Round 6, Pick 202 Overall: Mike Woods II, Wide Receiver, Oklahoma (6’1” 198 lbs)
Depth Chart:
WR1: Amari Cooper
WR2: David Bell
WR3: Donovan Peoples-Jones
WR4: Anthony Schwartz
WR5: Jakeem Grant
WR6: Javon Wims
WR7: Mike Woods II
TALENT
Michael Woods was a proficient player who flashed some skills but failed to provide any sort of consistent production in college. He’s an extremely stiff player who is just big and has some modicum of instincts that allow him to break for longer plays. His physique is his best quality. He isn’t especially fast, vertical, agile, or anything like that. He’s roster filler.
2022 OPPORTUNITY
Things would have to go horrifically wrong in Cleveland to worry about Mike Woods.
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
He might not even make the Browns, don’t even worry about it for your roster.
TALENT
2022 OPPORTUNITY
2022 FANTASY FOOTBALL OUTLOOK
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