The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Undrafted rookies on the way
The 2022 draft has ended. The task of filling out the Browns’ roster by adding undrafted rookies has not.
As soon as the draft formally concludes with the selection of Mr. Irrelevant as the final pick — this year it was Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy with the 262nd pick on April 30 — a race across the league begins to sign players not drafted. It’s like the mad dash when doors of a retail store open on Black Friday.
The Browns do not announce undrafted rookie signings until the group is under contract, but word leaks out through agents and other reports.
Here is a look at the undrafted rookies reportedly signed by the Browns as of mid-afternoon on May 1. The Browns will announce the signings formally before rookie minicamp begins May 13.
• LSU 6-foot-3, 339-pound defensive tackle Gren Logan was projected to go undrafted. Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Logan’s contract includes $60,000 guaranteed. The NFL Draft Buzz scouting report says Logan “can make the impressive chestto-chest bear hug tackle in the hole due to his ability to wreak havoc in the backfield.”
• Justin Melo of Draft Network reported the Browns signed 6-foot-4
wide receiver Isaiah Weston of Northern Iowa. Weston ran a 4.42 40, has a vertical leap of 40 inches and a 113inch broad jump. He caught 37 passes for 883 yards and five touchdowns last season.
• Pelissero also reported the Browns have added quarterback Felix Harper from Alcorn State. Harper worked out with Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson and Giants quarterback Tyrod Taylor.
• Aaron Wilson of Pro Football Network reported the Browns added two more undrafted wide receivers — Mike Hartley Jr. from the Miami Hurricanes and Travell Harris from Washington State. The Browns took two wide receivers in
the draft — David Bell of Purdue in the third round and Michael Woods from Oklahoma in the sixth round.
• The Browns had nine draft picks and did not use any of them on a tight end. Instead, they reportedly added two undrafted tight ends. One is Zaire MitchellPaden from Florida Atlantic by way of Notre Dame College. Mitchell-Paden got a $10,000 signing bonus and $25,000 base salary guarantee, according to Wilson. Malik Smith played basketball at Fisk University in Nashville. He is from Cleveland Heights. He hasn’t played football since Pop Warner, but he participated in Ohio State’s pro day in March and has
accepted an invitation from the Browns to participate in the rookie minicamp.
• Two undrafted cornerbacks will be at Browns’ rookie minicamp — Julius Faulk from Delta State, as reported by Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, and Shaun Jolly from Appalachian State. Appalachian State reported the Jolly signing on its Twitter page. Jolly participated in the Senior Bowl.
Dawgpounddaily.com reported the Browns also signed offensive tackle Ben Petrula from Boston College and center Brock Hoffman from Virginia Tech. The Browns used their final draft pick on a center but did not take a tackle in the draft. Petrula played in 60 games at Boston College.