The offensive line overhaul continued on Day 3 of the NFL Draft as the Cleveland Browns selected Alabama OL Parker Brailsford with pick No. 146. It's the third o-lineman they drafted this weekend.
The Cleveland Browns entered Day 3 of the NFL Draft with five total picks, including four in the fifth round. After waiting patiently through the entire fourth round, Cleveland was finally up again with pick No. 146. and used it to select Alabama offensive lineman Parker Brailsford.
First Look
Brailsford measures in at 6-foot-2, 280 lbs and was a two-year starter for the Crimson Tide the last two years, mostly at center. His college career actually began at Washington in 2022, where he redshirted his freshman season, before becoming a full-time starter one year later.
Across 15 games in 2023, Brailsford made two starts at guard, before becoming the full-time center for the final 13 en route to a National Championship run with the Huskies. When head coach Kalen Deboer left for Alabama that offseason, Brailsford followed and slid into the same role, starting 26 games over the last two years.
Brailsford earned Freshman All-American and Second Team All-Pac-12 Conference Honors in 2022. He received Third-Team All-SEC honors this past season and served as a team captain.
How He Fits:
Brailsford, a longtime starter for the Alabama Crimson Tide, is an interesting gamble for the Browns. Standing at 6-foot-2, 280 lbs., the 22-year-old lineman has a smaller frame, but wins with his quickness off the line of scrimmage. Looking at how he would fit into the Browns offense, Brailsford will likely begin his career behind veteran Elgton Jenkins, with the chance that he could develop into a starting center in the near future.
What They're Saying:
"I don't want to directly compare him one-to-one with Tyler Linderbaum, but I would say, we've seen coach Monken play with an athletic center with range and do a lot of stuff in the run game. That certainly is appealing in terms of how we would deploy him."
- Adam Al-Khayyal, Browns Director of Player Peronnel
Who Else Was Available:
Cleveland addressed their biggest needs early on in this draft, but Day 3 is all about filling in some cracks. Cornerback depth remains an area that could use some bolstering. Arizona State's Keith Abney was still on the board when Cleveland selected Brailsford. Linebacker is in a similar spot, where Harold Perkins Jr. was still on the board. So too is quarterback Garrett Nussmeier, who continues to slide deeper into Day 3.
Final Word:
Brailsford posted a 4.95 forty time at the NFL Combine and logged the fastest 10-yard split of all offensive lineman at a clip of 1.70. The Browns have amassed quite the collection of offensive linemen this offseason, including three on draft weekend alone with Brailsford, Flordia tackle Austin Barber and No. 9 overall pick Spencer Fano out of Utah.
It's never a bad thing to have too many bodies in the o-line room and now it's on head coach Todd Monken to sort out where they all fit.
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