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RECAP | Cleveland Browns draft OL Austin Corbett, RB Nick Chubb, DL Chad Thomas in Rounds 2-3

The Cleveland Browns made three selections on Night 2 of the 2018 NFL Draft, taking OL Austin Corbett and RB Nick Chubb in the 2nd round, followed by DL Chad Thomas in Round 3.
Apr 26, 2018; Arlington, TX, USA; A general view of the stadium and the NFL draft logo during the 2018 NFL Draft at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Browns made three selections on the second night of the 2018 NFL Draft as they addressed key needs on the offensive line, at running back, and on the defensive line.

The Browns owned two of the first three picks of the 2nd round and took Nevada OL Austin Corbett with the 33rd overall pick. They followed that up with the selection of Georgia RB Nick Chubb with the 35th pick.

Instead of making a third pick in the 2nd round, the Browns opted to trade down with the Indianapolis Colts as they moved down three spots and added a 6th round pick. With the 67th overall pick in the draft, the Browns took Miami defensive lineman Chad Thomas.

Here's a real-time rundown of what we saw in Rounds 2 and 3 of the draft on Friday evening:

11:00 p.m.--DRAFT NIGHT RECAP ON FACEBOOK LIVE

Matt Florjancic and I took a look at the three newest members of the Browns and the importance of Rounds 4-7 of the draft on Saturday on WKYC's Facebook Live on Friday evening:

9:26 p.m.--WITH THE 67TH PICK IN THE 2018 NFL DRAFT, THE CLEVELAND BROWNS SELECT.....

Chad Thomas, DE, University of Miami, 6'5", 281 lbs.

Thomas had a strong senior year with the Hurricanes, posting 41 tackles, 12.5 tackles for a loss, and 5.5 sacks.

From NFL.com: "Has all the physical and athletic traits that a team could look for along the edge and he's versatile enough to play in an odd or even front. Thomas' draft grade is based much more on projection than production and he will need prove that he can convert coaching into success on the field as a pass rusher. Thomas has the potential to become a much better pro than college player, but his floor is lower than you might like."

Read more about him from Matt Florjancic here.

The Browns sent Andrew Berry from their personnel department downstairs to talk about Thomas. Berry said the team believes that Thomas can be a guy that could help play against the run almost immediately, describing him as "a big, strong, long physical guy who can use his hands well."

Berry was asked to assess from his perspective as a Sashi Brown-regime holdover, how is the team doing so far in rebuilding the roster.

9:15 p.m.--TRADE ALERT! TRADE ALERT!

The Browns have decided to trade out of the 64th pick, the final one in Round 2. In the trade with Indianapolis, the Browns pick up the 67th pick (#3 in the 3rd round) and 178th pick (6th round)

Indianapolis took former Ohio State LB Tyquan Lewis with the 64th pick.

As Daryl Ruiter of 92.3 The Fan reminded us in the media room, the Carson Wentz trade from 2016 is still alive.

9:00 p.m.--BROWNS PREPARING FOR 64TH PICK

It's been a little while since we've posted as the Browns wait to make their 3rd and final pick of the 2nd round (and possibly the night).

Who is out there that might interest the Browns?

If you're looking at a potential pass rusher since the Browns passed on Bradley Chubb last night, perhaps someone like Sam Hubbard from Ohio State, Malik Jefferson from Texas, or Lorenzo Carter from Georgia.

How about a wide receiver? DaeSean Hamilton of Penn State is the best available

Maybe another offensive tackle? Orlando Brown, Jr. from Oklahoma is still out there. That might make sense for several reasons.

8:15 p.m.--BROWNS ASSISTANT GENERAL MANAGERS ADDRESS THE MEDIA

Eliot Wolf and Alonzo Highsmith made a surprise visit to the press room after the Browns selected Nick Chubb and Austin Corbett with their first two picks of the 2nd round.

As far as the Browns' plans for Corbett, Wolf left it up in the air:

He was pressed on this point, because as mentioned earlier, the Browns have invested heavily at the guard positions in the draft and free agency in recent years. Wouldn't it make more sense to have Corbett work at tackle, especially as a potential replacement on the left side for Joe Thomas.

Meanwhile, Highsmith spoke quite a bit about Nick Chubb, which makes sense as a former RB himself. Highsmith says he's had his eye on Chubb for a long time and thinks having him join Carlos Hyde as a potential power back duo for the Browns makes plenty of sense.

As far as an NFL comparison to Chubb, Highsmith didn't even let the question finish before interjecting:

Browns fans would take that in a heartbeat, no?

7:32 p.m.--THOUGHTS ON AUSTIN CORBETT AFTER HEARING CONFERENCE CALL

There's a little bit of a mystery about what position Corbett is expected to play in the NFL. He was a four-year starter at tackle for Nevada, but starting at the Senior Bowl, coaches and scouts had him working on the interior as a guard. He can also play center.

There was a natural link from Corbett to Joel Bitonio, another second round draft pick by the Browns from the University of Nevada. Corbett says he has long admired Bitonio, and had a great answer when asked by the media about possibly replacing Joe Thomas as left tackle of the Browns:

The Browns are pretty set at guard with Bitonio and Kevin Zeitler, with J.C. Tretter at center. We'll hear from GM John Dorsey and Head Coach Hue Jackson later, but I can't imagine the Browns used the 33rd overall pick on a guy to rotate in at guard. He's got to be a tackle here, right?

7:18 p.m.--WITH THE 35TH PICK IN THE 2018 NFL DRAFT, THE CLEVELAND BROWNS SELECT....

RB Nick Chubb from Georgia. He's 5'11", 227 lbs.

This will make many Browns fans smile, even though they undoubtedly would have like Bradley Chubb as well.

Nick Chubb ran for 1,345 yards with 15 TDs for the Bulldogs, who came within an eyelash of winning the national championship. Chubb ran for over a thousand yards in three of his four years with the Bulldogs.

Here's NFL.com's evaluation of Chubb, which isn't totally favorable: "Has the size and mindset of a primary ball carrier, but lacks any one element of his game that jumps off the tape when evaluating. Chubb isn't overly elusive, but he does a good job of running through arm tackles and initial contact with lower body strength and contact balance. Chubb could become an average NFL starter, but his lack of third down value may end up hurting his draft stock."

His NFL comparison: Alfred Morris

Get Matt Florjancic's rundown on the Browns' new RB by clicking here

7:12 p.m.--WITH THE FIRST PICK IN ROUND TWO OF THE 2018 NFL DRAFT, THE CLEVELAND BROWNS SELECT....

Austin Corbett, offensive lineman out of Nevada. He's 6'4", 306 lbs.

NFL.com's scouting report of Corbett says he "won't blow you away with any of his measurables or play traits, but he's solid in most areas. Corbett is definitely sharp enough to move inside to guard or even center and has good technique, but his average to below average play strength and lack of length may be a concern. He has the size and talent to compete for a guard/center spot early on, but he may elevate above an average starter during his career."

Corbett's NFL comparison? Former Brown John Greco

Here's how Corbett and his family reacted after being picked by the Browns via Brenna Greene of KRNV TV:

Give Matt Florjancic a point for getting the position right. Read his rundown of Corbett here

7:00 p.m.--The Cleveland Browns are on the the clock with the first pick of Round 2 of the draft. What are they going to do here? Think pass rusher, offensive tackle, or a skill position player.

My partner in crime Matt Florjancic is calling Connor Williams, OT, of Texas for the pick.

I say the Browns go WR. Courtland Sutton from SMU was slated to be a mid-to-late first rounder.

Friday Preview--The "Voice of the Browns," Jim Donovan and I discussed what we heard from the newest members of the Browns, first round picks Baker Mayfield and Denzel Ward, at their introductory press conference. We also previewed tonight's second and third rounds for the Browns on a special WKYC Facebook Live. Watch in the player below:

We'll be following the action all evening long. You can interact with us on Twitter using the hashtag #3Browns.

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