In preparation for the 2025 draft, where the Browns hold 10 selections, I went into the lab to identify which draft prospects best fit the Browns’ positional prototypes established since Andrew Berry assumed his post as General Manager.
I gathered data on every acquisition Berry has made – whether through the draft, free agency, or trade – focusing on key athletic traits and NFL Combine results to build a Browns-specific prototype. Then, I compared each prospect’s numbers to their positional prototype, normalizing the data and adjusting for missing values to produce ideal fits for each position based on the data.
This is the third installment of a ten-part series, identifying the best matches for the Browns, based on the data-trends identified since Andrew Berry became GM.
The Cleveland Browns needs at the safety spot are to be debated. Grant Delpit had a solid season in 2024, and he is likely to be a significant contributor in 2025. Additionally, Ronnie Hickman continued his strong play after bursting onto the scene as an undrafted rookie in 2023.
Both Delpit and Hickman will be under contract in 2025, along with youngsters Trey Dean and Chris Edmonds, who signed futures contracts with the Browns following the season. Departed from last year’s squad are D’Anthony Bell (Seahawks), Rodney McLeod Jr. (retirement), and Juan Thornhill, who was released before signing with the Steelers.
It would be difficult to argue that safety should be a high priority for a team in the Browns’ predicament. It wouldn’t be one of the top “needs” on anyone’s list, however, that doesn’t mean the Browns should ignore the position entirely. There are a bunch of intriguing safeties in this year’s draft, including in the later rounds, who could make their way to Cleveland.
The following are the top 5 fits for the Browns who are up for grabs in the 2025 NFL Draft:
#5 Jaylen Reed – Penn State
Jaylen Reed, whose data resulted in a 97.5% similarity score to the Browns safety prototype, spent 4 years in the collegiate ranks. While Reed was contributing from the very beginning, he took on a much bigger role in his senior season.
Coincidentally or not, this was the same season the Nittany Lions made it to the final 4. The 6’0,” 211 pounder is currently projected to be a later round draft choice.
As stated previously, Reed had a quiet start to his career, as he had to earn his way onto the field at a powerhouse program. He finally received his chance and ran with it, posting 98 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss, 2.5 sacks, and 3 interceptions, one of which he took to the house. Reed also showed excellent athleticism at the Combine, posting a 4.48 40-yard dash, as well as an impressive 19 bench reps.
As with every prospect, scouts still have some questions. For Reed, these include mental mistakes as well as man coverage ability. If 2024 was any indication, perhaps Reed will continue to elevate his game, the more experience he gets on the field.
If you want to see more of Reed, check out his highlight tape here.
#4 Rayuan Lane III – Navy
Rayuan Lane III is a somewhat rare NFL prospect to come from one of the service academies. His similarity score of 98% is 4th highest of draft-eligible safeties.
Lane spent the last 4 years roaming the secondary for the Midshipmen, and he has been a significant contributor since his sophomore season. Despite loads of collegiate production, he is still viewed as a later round draft choice at this time. At the Combine, he measured in at 5’11” and 200lbs.
Lane was a stalwart for Navy’s defense, racking up 244 tackles, 9 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks, and 7 interceptions in his collegiate career. Lane is a typical case of a player where the production is there, but the athleticism might not necessarily match it.
His scoring at the Combine was mostly average. Scouts also had other concerns with his game, including his missed tackles and coverage discipline. Nonetheless, it is clear that he can play ball, despite any concerns about his athleticism.
The Combine is an important tool that can provide useful information, but the information scouts truly pore over when deciding to draft a player is their game tape, and Lane’s game tape is impressive.
See it for yourself in his highlight tape here.
#3 Marques Sigle – Kansas State
Marques Sigle became a name to watch in the scouting community after he lit up the Combine with elite scores in every category he performed in – which is part of the reason he had a 98.1% similarity score. Sigle played his first two seasons at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State, before making the jump to FBS, as a member of the Kansas State Wildcats.
His size measurements (5’11,” 199lbs) didn’t jump off the page, which is likely part of the reason he is consdiered a later round draft choice. Don’t let the size fool you, though, because Sigle played much bigger in his stint as a Wildcat, piling up 123 tackles, 7 tackles-for-loss, and 4 interceptions, one of which was a Pick-6.
Many outside of Kansas were unfamiliar with the safety, until he showed up at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He blazed a 4.37 40-yard dash and jumped out of the gym with a 38′ vertical, not to be outdone by his 10’10” broad jump. Still, scouts are peeved with his arm length and zone coverage ability.
You can see Sigle zip across the field in his highlight tape here.
#2 R.J. Mickens – Clemson
R.J. Mickens, son of former Cleveland Brown Ray Mickens, is a versatile safety whose similarity score came in at 98.3%. He spent 5 seasons with the Clemson Tigers, appearing in a total of 60 career games. He was always contributing on coach Dabo Swinney’s defense, and earned the largest role in his final year. He is currently expected to be a late round draft selection.
At 6’0,” 199lbs, Mickens racked up stats in his time in Death Valley, to the tune of 196 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss, and 7 interceptions. The well-rounded skillset was apparent from his tape, and he was able to put up solid scores in the NFL Combine. If he’s able to make plays like that for the Browns, it would make for an even better story.
The reasons Mickens is not rated higher is because of scouts worries about his top end speed, as well as inconsistency in attacking blockers. He ran a very good 4.48 40-yard dash, and the rest of his game seems to be able to be fixed by good coaching.
You can see what Mickens is all about in his highlight tape here.
#1 Maxen Hook – Toledo
At #1 on this list, is a prospect already familiar with the Ohio area – Toledo’s Maxen Hook, whose similarity score of 98.8% topped all safeties. He’s an experienced player, spending his 5 years in college football with the Rockets. At the Combine, he measured in at 6’2″ and 202lbs, he is seen as a mid-round prospect by evaluators.
I’d caution judging the prospect off the projection, however, as Hook collected 356 tackles, 8 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, and 7 interceptions. The stats tell the story of a player with a nose for the football, who is constantly in the mix. Scouts bemoan a perceived lack of reactive quickness, as well as ‘average’ stopping power as weaknesses for Hook.
Aside from that, Hook had a solid combine, including a 4.55 40-yard dash and a 10’4″ broad jump, showcasing some of the explosiveness prospective teams can expect to add to their defensive backfield.