Cleveland Browns rookie is on track to make the roster and the rest of the NFL forgot to draft him

The Cleveland Browns have had to get creative as of late when it comes to drafting players. In each of the last three drafts, the Browns have been without a first-round pick due to the Deshaun Watson trade. So, hitting on those non-premium picks has been a must.

Cleveland has hit on some players out of the first round in the last five years. Players like Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Martin Emerson Jr., and Dawand Jones come to mind. Cleveland may be on the cusp of finding themselves another gem and he just happens to be a seventh-round pick.

Cornerback Myles Harden has been making plays for the Browns in training camp . Harden intercepted Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold on Wednesday and that led to head coach Kevin Stefanski being asked about the rookie.

“He’s done a nice job,” Stefanski said after practice. “I didn’t see that play in particular, but I’ll watch, obviously, what he’s done. But he’s a very smart player, has great ball skills, so he’s doing a nice job. We’re just kind of moving him around and seeing if he can carve out a role.”

Ideally, Harden fits in behind Greg Newsome II in the slot in Year 1. If recent history tells us anything, Harden will be asked to step up and play in that role at least multiple times this season. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound rookie has the ball skills to jump routes run by wideouts and is fluid enough to stay with athletes that teams deploy in the slot.

While at South Dakota, Harden defended 26 passes and his six interpositions to his credit. The level of competition that Harden went up against was worrisome but he is already proving his worth in training camp. If the Browns hit on another cornerback, it would be great for their roster building. Let’s face it, they can’t give all of their cornerbacks big contracts .

There are still a couple of weeks until cutdown day, but I feel good about the seventh-round pick and his chances to make the Browns roster.

Related: Browns make the best move possible with LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah that has a big impact on his future