With the 223rd pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the Browns selected a familiar name: Isaiah Thomas.
Frankly, I’m not sure what a 5’9”, 185 lb. point guard is going to do to make this team better.
And they’re saying he’s supposed to come off the line?
Alongside Myles Garrett?
Oh, wait.
*checks notes*
No.
Welcome to Cleveland, @isaiahthomas95! pic.twitter.com/byLWqDGEj7
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) April 30, 2022
Not that Isaiah Thomas.
Interesting.
It turns out the player the Browns selected is a 6-foot-4 226 pound beast.
Here are three things to know about Cleveland’s selection:
1. He’s Played With You-Know-Who
Thomas played college ball for the Oklahoma Sooners.
In fact, Thomas was one of three Sooners selected by the Browns in the 2022 draft, joining Perrion Winfrey and Mike Woods.
But Thomas’ career goes back a little further.
Back in 2017, Thomas redshirted for the Sooners.
Browns fans might remember who was under center that year for the Sooners.
And who won the Heisman Trophy that year…for the Sooners.
Or who was the no. 1 pick in the draft that year.
Hint: it wasn’t Deshaun Watson.
That’s right!
Thomas shared a practice field with former-yet-still-rostered Browns QB Baker Mayfield.
It is fairly curious that the Browns selected three Sooners players the year Mayfield wanted out.
Are they trying to pacify him with a potential Watson suspension looming?
Not likely.
Just let me know when we can start calling Norman, OK Browns Basic Training.
2. Unusual Selection from Andrew Berry
In a few different ways, Thomas was an unusual pick from General Manager Andrew Berry.
For starters, Thomas is a defensive end.
That’s not to say that the team didn’t need help at that position.
On the contrary; the Browns have a massive talent drop-off at the position behind Myles Garrett.
But Berry has shown a hesitancy to use draft capital in that position.
In fact, through his first two years at the helm, Berry never picked a defensive end.
In 2022, though, Berry made up for that in spades by taking two.
3. Rotation-to-Practice Squad Destiny
The Seventh Round is not usually where a ton of high-level NFL production is found.
Isaiah Thomas is one of those Round 7 players I could see carving out a nice role as a situational pass rusher. #Browns
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) April 30, 2022
So what is Thomas’ ceiling?
Probably a rotation player, per Dane Brugler of The Athletic:
“A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Thomas lined up at defensive end (usually the field side) in former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s 3-3-5 base scheme. Although he doesn’t have the same athleticism or rush skills as teammate Nik Bonitto, he led the Sooners in sacks each of the past two seasons. Thomas is a stout edge-setter and creates consistent movement at contact when he rushes with momentum, displaying inside/outside versatility. However, he is slow to collect his feet, redirect or break down in space, and the missed plays/tackles pile up on tape. Overall, Thomas has subpar get-off quickness and finishing skills, but he has NFL-level size, length and strength to be a rotational defensive end in a 4-3 base defense, kicking inside in sub packages.”
The Oklahoma product was a solid contributor in college.
Across 43 appearances for the Sooners, Thomas logged 18.5 sacks and 26.5 tackles for loss.
He twice made All-Big 12 second-team.
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