Cleveland Browns: Reaction to The Athletic’s 7-round mock draft
6th-7th rounds
189. The Browns finally go with a linebacker, Drew Lewis, from Colorado.
Like it: Linebacker is a position of need and Lewis fills the needs the Browns have. He can drop back in coverage and he’s capable of playing sideline-to-sideline against the run. Unfortunately he’s projected as a sixth-round pick. Lewis would need some development and it’s unrealistic to think he could help much in 2018.
Don’t like it: Brugler has the Browns waiting until pick 189 to address linebackers. Christian Kirksey, Joe Schoebert and Denard Avery look to be likely starters, but if history tells us anything, you’ve got to have bodies in this group.
221 (7th round). With their last pick in the draft, Brugler projected the Browns will pick Penn State’ Ryan Bates.
Like it: If Bates is there, the Browns would be getting a steal, according to Pro Football Focus. The analytics site ranked Bates 122 overall on their big board, which goes 250 players deep.
He played left and right tackle for the Nittany Lions last season and earned an 81.0 overall grade in 879 snaps.
Next. 5 corners Browns should target between rounds 2-7. dark
At 6-foot-4, 312 pounds, Bates look more suited to play either guard or center in the NFL and Lance Zierlein projected he has a “better than average chance” to became an NFL Starter.