BEREA, Ohio — While the Cleveland Browns’ selection of quarterback Dillon Gabriel at pick 94 dominated post-draft discussion, it’s worth examining the team’s other Day 2 selections — picks that generated significant excitement before the quarterback controversy overshadowed them.

“They were having a pretty good day,” Dan Labbe noted on the Orange and Brown Talk podcast. “Pick Quinshon Judkins. I think is a really good pick … And then Harold Fannin at 67 … That’s a pretty good day.”

The Browns’ Day 2 began with linebacker Carson Schwesinger at pick 33. Though some fans expressed initial confusion, there’s logic behind the selection. “You can talk yourself into why you take a linebacker there,” Labbe explained. “Maybe there was a big drop off after that. I think Daniel Jeremiah said that on NFL Network that there’s kind of a big drop off after Schwesinger.”

But it was the offensive selections that truly energized the fanbase. Ohio State running back Quinshon Judkins at pick 36 gives them a potential featured back. The comparison between Judkins and Nick Chubb wasn’t lost on Browns management.

“There were Nick Chubb comparisons getting very carefully thrown around,” Labbe said. Mary Kay Cabot expanded on the excitement: “When they find out they get a Judkins and that he can plow ahead for some yards in some of the same ways that Nick Chubb did, that’s what they want. That’s what they’re excited about.”

Perhaps the most intriguing Day 2 selection was Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin Jr. at pick 67. The Browns were fortunate to land him after a run on tight ends earlier in the round.

“Mason Taylor went 42 to the Jets. Terrance Ferguson, who I did not think would go anywhere near this high, went 46 to the Rams. And then Elijah Arroyo went 50 to the Seahawks,” Ashley Bastock detailed. “The Browns, I think are lucky that they were still able to take a tight end of Harold Fannin’s caliber who led the FBS in receiving.”

What makes Fannin particularly exciting is his elite receiving production and potential fit alongside David Njoku in two-tight end sets. “That is tangible. Tangible. Receptions, touchdowns,” Cabot emphasized. “You can see him out there in 12 personnel with David Njoku. You can visualize it.”

The Browns’ offensive additions address a critical team need — scoring points. After averaging just 15.2 points per game in 2023, they needed playmakers. “I think fans have been craving offensive weapons. They want to see something happening on offense,” Cabot observed.

The enthusiasm for these picks makes the Gabriel selection at 94 all the more perplexing. As Labbe put it, “And once again you make the head scratching pick at 94.”

However, the coaching staff’s excitement about Judkins and Fannin was evident in their post-pick comments. “To hear them talk about those two guys, you can really tell that they liked those guys,” Labbe said. “They raved about him. They raved about Judkins.”

While the quarterback debate will continue, Browns fans should find legitimate cause for optimism in the team’s other Day 2 selections. Adding a potential three-down linebacker, a powerful running back with Chubb-like traits, and a receiving tight end who set records in college could provide immediate impact on a roster with championship aspirations.

Whether these picks ultimately prove sufficient to overcome the team’s other perceived roster holes – particularly at wide receiver and safety – remains to be seen. But based on talent evaluation alone, the Browns appear to have secured significant value with their first three selections of Day 2.

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