Cleveland closes out the 2022 NFL Draft by adding some potential depth along the offensive line.
With the 246th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected center Dawson Deaton (6-foot, 301 lbs ) from Texas Tech. He is the second of the team’s two seventh-round picks, and the Browns’ ninth and final pick of this year’s draft.
Welcome to Cleveland, @dawson_deaton pic.twitter.com/q2WhC5cMBb
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 30, 2022
Scouting Reports
Here is a scouting report from The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, who had Deaton as his 10th-ranked center on his board, and a projected sixth- or seventh-round pick.
A three-year starter at Texas Tech, Deaton was a staple at center in former offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie’s version of the Air Raid offense. He was a two-time team captain for the Red Raiders and earned All-Big 12 honors three consecutive years at center. In the run game, Deaton tends to rely more on athleticism than power and will need to play with improved leverage and balance through contact to hold up vs. NFL defensive linemen. As a pass blocker, he moves well laterally and keeps his head on a swivel (pressures allowed were hard to find on his 2021 tape). Overall, Deaton isn’t a drive blocker, and he battles anchor issues, but he is a solid blocker in the run game and in pass protection thanks to his movements, smarts and patience. He can be an NFL backup center in the right situation.
How He Fits the Browns
The Browns released veteran center JC Tretter in the offseason in a salary-cap move, and are poised to turn the starting job over to third-year man Nick Harris. They also signed veteran Ethan Pocic as competition for Harris, but Pocic is nothing to get overly excited about as a player, so Deaton might have an opportunity to grab the backup role if he can show the Browns something in his limited opportunities this summer.
React Now
What do you think, Browns fans?