Why Cleveland Browns don't have first-round pick in NFL draft (again), and who joins them

The first round of the NFL draft presents the best chance for teams to inject star-level talent that – typically – is expected to contribute right away.

Yet, not all teams will be participating Thursday night in Detroit, when the 2024 NFL draft gets underway. Three of the 32 teams in the league currently do not have a first-round selection, though, any of those could decide to trade into the first round should they be interested in doing so.

One of those teams without a first-round pick is the Cleveland Browns, who will be without a first-round selection for the third consecutive season, barring a trade. In fact, the first selections the Browns made in each of the last two NFL drafts came in the third rounds.

Here's everything you need to know about why the Cleveland Browns don't have a first-round pick.

Why are the Cleveland Browns without a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft?

The short answer is Deshaun Watson. In March 2022, the then-Houston Texans quarterback had a change of heart and agreed to waive his no-trade clause so that the Browns could acquire him in a deal that shipped three first-round draft picks (in the 2022, 2023 and 2024), one third-round selection (2023) and one fourth-round selection (2024) to Houston. The Browns did receive a 2024 fifth-round selection as part of a late-pick swap in the deal.

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The Browns also gave Watson a five-year, fully-guaranteed $230 million contract as part of the deal. According to Pro Football Talk, Watson is guaranteed to receive $46 million in each of the following three seasons. The Browns gave Watson this deal despite him being sued by 24 women alleging sexual misconduct in massage sessions in 2020 and early 2021 during the quarterback's time in Houston. Five months after the Browns traded for Watson, the NFL suspended him 11 games and fined him $5 million for violations of the league's personal conduct policy.

In two seasons for the Browns, Watson has appeared in only 12 games and has completed 59.8% of his passes, for 2,217 yards, 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. His quarterback ratings of 79.1 and 84.3 are both well below his previous career low in Houston, 98, which was achieved in the 2019 season. Cleveland has posted an 8-4 record in games Watson has started.

Watson underwent shoulder surgery after sustaining an injury in November that sidelined him for the rest of the 2023 season. In his place, the Browns brought in veteran Joe Flacco, who sparked a playoff run and earned him the 2023 AP Comeback Player of the Year award.

What have the Texans done with the draft picks from the Deshaun Watson trade?

Houston has become rather competitive in a quick turnaround, thanks in part to the picks acquired in the Watson deal. Either directly with the picks Cleveland sent, or by packaging some of those picks in different trades, the Texans have added linebacker Will Anderson Jr., receiver Tank Dell and running back Dameon Pierce.

Anderson Jr. (No. 3 overall in 2023) had a monster rookie season, generating 45 tackles, seven sacks and 22 quarterback hits, which earned him a Pro Bowl nomination and the 2023 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Dell (No. 69 overall, in the third round) had a breakout rookie campaign in 2023, catching 47 passes for 709 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games before a broken leg prematurely ended his season. Pierce (No. 107 overall, in the fourth round of the 2022 draft) has had a solid run, generating 1,621 yards from scrimmage and seven total touchdowns on 408 touches.

What picks do the Cleveland Browns have in the 2024 NFL draft?

The Browns currently have six draft picks available in the 2024 NFL draft.

Are there any other teams without first-round picks?

Yes, the Houston Texans and Carolina Panthers are also without their first-round selections because of different trades they made. It is not uncommon for a small number of teams each year to be without their first-round draft picks.