Browns Sign Seven 2022 Draft Picks (5.12.22)
For Immediate Release
May 12, 2022
BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns have signed CB Martin Emerson Jr., DE Alex Wright, WR David Bell, RB Jerome Ford, WR Mike Woods II, DE Isaiah Thomas and G Dawson Deaton. All seven selections are the first seven of the club’s nine 2022 draft picks to sign.
Martin Emerson Jr. | CB | Mississippi State
3rd round (No. 68 overall)
Finished his career with 28 total starts in 36 games played…His 89.6 coverage grade was the highest by an SEC cornerback since 2020…Amassed 154 tackles, six tackles for loss, one interception, 16 pass breakups and forced a fumble over three-year career…Ranked 11th in forced incompletions (11) among Power Five cornerbacks, according to Pro Football Focus (min. 200 coverage snaps) in 2020…Received 2021 Third Team All-SEC accolades from PFF…Nickname is “MJ”…Native of Pensacola, Fla. and attended Pine Forest High School.
Alex Wright | DE | UAB
3rd round (No. 78 overall)
Played in 31 games from 2019-21 at UAB, posting 91 tackles, 11.5 sacks, five pass breakups, three forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries…Second Team All-Conference USA in 2021 after playing in 12 games with eight starts…Tallied 46 tackles on the season with seven sacks, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles…Native of Elba, Ala. and attended Elba High School.
David Bell | WR | Purdue
3rd round (No. 99 overall)
Started 26 of 29 games in three seasons (2019-21) for the Boilermakers…Concluded collegiate career with 232 catches for 2,946 yards and 21 touchdowns…Caught 93 passes for 1,286 yards and six touchdown receptions in 2021 and was named first-team All-Big Ten Conference for the second consecutive season (2020-21)…Bell’s total (1,286) fell just 21 yards shy of the school record for a single season…Set a new Purdue record with 17 career 100-yard receiving games, including seven during his 2021 All-American season…Ranks in the top 10 in program history for career receptions (fourth), receiving yards (fifth) and receiving touchdowns (tied for fifth)…Native of Indianapolis, Ind. and attended Warren Central High School.
Jerome Ford | RB | Cincinnati
5th round (No. 156 overall)
Joined the Cincinnati Bearcats’ program early in 2020 after two years at Alabama…Helped lead the Bearcats to an undefeated season (13-0) in 2021 and finished with 1,242 yards rushing, 19 rushing touchdowns and 20 total touchdowns…Both touchdown marks tied the school records set by Michael Warren in 2018…Finished collegiate career with 319 rushes for 1,953 yards and 30 touchdowns…Added 31 catches for 282 yards and one score…Appeared in the 2022 College Football Playoff…Native of Tampa, Fla. and attended Armwood High School.
Mike Woods II | WR | Oklahoma
6th round (No. 202 overall)
Started 38 of 43 games in his collegiate career from 2018-21, catching 118 passes for 1,648 yards and 12 touchdowns…Earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors from league’s coaches in 2021 after transferring to Oklahoma from Arkansas…Started nine of 11 games and hauling in 35 receptions for 400 yards and a pair of scores…In 2020, Caught 32 passes for a career-high 619 yards while starting all 10 games for the Razorbacks…Tallied five touchdowns to match his total touchdown output from his first two seasons combined…Started all 12 games in 2019 and led team with 33 receptions and four receiving touchdowns…Racked up 423 receiving yards for an average of 12.8 yards per catch and 35.2 yards per game…Native of Magnolia, Texas and attended Magnolia High School.
Isaiah Thomas | DE | Oklahoma
7th round (No. 233 overall)
Started 22 of 43 games played for the Sooners from 2017-21 with 81 tackles, 18.5 sacks seven pass breakups, four forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries…An All-Big 12 Second Team selection by league coaches in 2021 after starting 11 of 12 games played…Totaled 38 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, team-high eight sacks, four pass breakups, three QB hurries, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery…A second-team All-Big 12 selection by league coaches and media and an Academic All-Big 12 Second Team honoree in 2020…Notched 32 tackles with team highs of 8.5 sacks and 13 tackles for loss…Also credited with two fumble recoveries, a forced fumble, eight QB hurries and two pass breakups…Played in 11 of 14 games and registered seven tackles and two sacks in 2019…Native of Tulsa, Okla. and attended Memorial High School.
Dawson Deaton | G | Texas Tech
7th round (No. 246 overall)
Played in 44 games (35 starts) for the Red Raiders from 2017-21…His 35 starts led all offensive players and was third on the team among players who spent entire career at Texas Tech…Part of an offensive line that allowed only 1.5 sacks per game, good for second in the Big 12 his sophomore season…Native of Frisco, Tx. and attended Frisco High School.
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