Draft sites everywhere are doing their Mock Draft predictions. One of the biggest is WalterFootball, so let’s see what they pick for the Cleveland Browns.
The Cleveland Browns are a month and some-odd days away from the next NFL Draft. One of the biggest things that happen during this time of the year is the yearly crop of mock drafts. People like Todd McShay and Mel Kiper hide their full drafts behind cable subscriptions and paywalls but not every outlet does. One of the biggest sourced sites is WalterFootball and we’re going to take a look at their mock draft
Their lists and breakdowns are pretty well done, but like all mock drafts, there’s no guarantee that they’re right. There’s no guarantee that any of these lists are right. That’s part of the fun, is looking at these lists with the benefit of hindsight. None of this is meant to disparage those making these picks.
The Browns have a lot of holes to address across the board. None more obvious than the offensive line, but thanks to some STELLAR (sarcasm) decision making, now the team has holes across the defense as well. If the team really has hopes of hitting the ground running for a playoff bid in 2020, then the team can’t afford to miss a single pick in this upcoming draft.
So let’s take a look at who WalterFootball has the Cleveland Browns taking in the first six rounds of the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.
(*Note: As of right now, WalterFootball hasn’t listed the seventh-round selections, which the Browns have one pick in.*)
First Round (Pick #10) – OT Mekhi Becton, Louisville University
"Perhaps the Browns will think twice about entering the season with Greg Robinson as their left tackle. They desperately need help on the offensive line. At 6-7, 340, Mekhi Becton is a massive human being. Despite his size, however, Becton is athletic and flexible, as he showed us at the combine. He projects similarly to Cordy Glenn."
Mekhi Becton may not be a lot of peoples pick in this slot but he is WalterFootball’s. I worry about anyone who only cites the NFL Combine as a reason to be high on a player. Good players are good, regardless of combine stats. In fact, the combine can at times give talent evaluators a false sense of perspective. Too many ‘work-out warriors’ fly up people’s draft boards because of their 40-yard dash times.
Becton is big but he’s also carrying a lot of weight. Think about the God-tier level of players on the offensive line, namely Joe Thomas. Thomas played at about 310 lbs throughout his career. He’s about the same height as Becton but far lighter. Offensive linemen don’t need to be heavy anymore, they need to be strong and quick. They’re not stationary objects, they don’t need to weigh 400 pounds.
If you’re running the ball, that player is moving forward. So why would you need to be heavy? You need to be strong. Strong enough to move the defensive tackles off their point. Defensive tackles need to be heavy, sure but offensive linemen need to be strong and fast.
Then you have to worry about his agility with the opposing pass rush. We’ve already seen heavy players who can’t move laterally and get obliterated. How well can Becton really move? He doesn’t have a lot of information on those lateral quickness tests from the combine. Sure, he ran a 5.10 40-yard dash but who cares? He needs to be QUICK, not FAST.
To paraphrase Jim Ross, Beckon needs to be sudden like a hiccup.
Becton’s mobility is an issue, with the NFL website basically says that Becton is slow and a liability against more complicated defenses who stunt. Which is every NFL team.
Why is he so high again? His size? That’s never blown up in anyone’s face.
A player nearly 370lbs? That’s not going to be useful when he’s facing off against 275lbs defensive ends, with tight end speed and running back agility. People shouldn’t worry about dumb terms like ‘value’ or ‘reaching’ with the Draft. There’s only one value that anyone should worry about. Take the player you think is the best when you can. That’s why the Browns should go get Wisconsin’s Tyler Biadasz in the first. The best tackle in the draft is a projected second-round pick, so if you can swing both the best tackle and the best guard/center, then you just did all you needed to rejuvenate the line.
If you’re deadset on walking away with two tackles in the early rounds, then Iowa’s Tristan Wirfs is the better option.
Second Round (Pick #41) – OT Ezra Cleveland, Boise State
"The Browns could easily double up on offensive tackles, given their dire need at the position. Pick change; previously Gabriel Davis, WR"
Ezra Cleveland is the best offensive tackle prospect in the 2020 NFL Draft. Sports media love stats and measurements. They just happen to love the wrong ones, however. Think about a running back being measured for the 40-yard dash. Why would you care about such a statistical measurement? How often do running backs actually break big runs in the NFL? How many of them do it by simply outrunning the defense? Not many. Not often. Runners need to be measured by lateral quickness, their ability to follow blockers, to run through arm tackles and cut through the holes the line opens.
Yet, we worry about the 40-time.
This is the same thing for the offensive line. Who cares if the offensive lineman runs a 4.50 40-yarder or a 5.90 40-yarder? They need to be quick, not fast. Linemen aren’t usually going to run down the field, and even when they do they get outpaced by the ball carriers pretty quickly. So you shouldn’t worry about that forward speed, but rather that side to side quickness. The other thing you NEED to worry about is strength and endurance. If you can’t move the guys ahead of you, you aren’t going to be very good.
Becton isn’t as strong as Cleveland, and he’s dang sure not as quick. He’s the perfect left tackle prospect. The redshirt junior started all three active seasons at Boise State at the left tackle position. With his impressive athleticism, brutal strength and his ability to get leverage thanks to his amateur wrestling background; there’s no reason why he should go anywhere after a player like Becton.
He might, however, and if he does fall to the second round, namely to the Browns, then the team should dive on him like Steve Rogers dove on that grenade.
Third Round (Pick #74) – OG Logan Stenberg, Kentucky University
"The Browns made a huge mistake by trading away Kevin Zeitler. Their offensive line really struggled as a consequence. They’ll need better guard play. Logan Stenberg looked good in the Senior Bowl to answer some questions about blocking speed rushers."
There are other guards in the draft that impress me more, but for a third-round pick, if he’s still there, Logan Stenberg isn’t a half-shabby option. He’s got a lot to prove, namely how he stacks up against better competition. Being an offensive lineman alone is hard enough. Being an offensive lineman on a team that isn’t thought of as a powerhouse is even harder.
Someone like Stenberg will have to prove that he’s not a product of his system. Something that one could argue for the Boise State products in this year’s draft as well. Playing alongside four other men is really a great blanket for some players who aren’t that good. The line is such a different beast than any other squad on a football team because, individually, you could look terrible but have a good outing as a unit, or you could be fantastic but still look like trash. You’re so reliant on everyone knowing their jobs, their assignments and their responsibilities that a sack that you get credit for may not have even been your fault.
Stenberg didn’t test at the combine for the bench press, according to the NFL.com website. We have no idea what he offers in regards to strength outside of game footage. He could be wicked strong like Brock Lesnar meets Mark Henry, or he could be like Becton. Someone who’s a lot bigger than he is anything else. Though for Stenberg he isn’t’ 6’7 and pushing 400 pounds.
Thankfully.
Stenberg has holes and there are issues with him as a prospect; which is why he’s in the third round. He’s a good choice in round three, though, assuming others ahead of him haven’t slipped for some reason.
Third Round (Pick #91) – LB Jacob Phillips, LSU
"It sounds like Cleveland will lose Joe Schobert to free agency, so here’s a potential replacement. Jacob Phillips has been an extremely productive linebacker for LSU. The physical defender was a five-star recruit. Pick change; previously Robert Hunt, OT"
Hard pass on Jacob Phillips at linebacker. He was a good, not great, linebacker for LSU. They had a lot of good defensive players these last two years, but that doesn’t mean that Phillips is one of them. The concern that people should have with Phillips is his sideline to sideline speed. He’s not the athlete people see him as, and considering how well Joe Schobert played and how good his combine stats were in the agility drills, anyone who replaces him is going to need to be as quick.
Phillips, in every category other than the 40-yard dash, failed to match Schobert. He’s not as strong as Schobert, not as quick as Schobert and not the same type of prospect Schobet was. He’s also lighter and less physical as well.
However, there is an idea if the Browns really want him. Who says Phillips has to play linebacker? At 229lbs, he’s a pretty light linebacker. Schobert was nearly 250 and he shed weight in the NFL. Let’s assume that Phillips does too. Schobert lost about 15 pounds due to learning how to prep food and eat properly. Let’s say Phillips loses that. He’s now about 214lbs give or take. With a 4.66 40-yard dash? He’s not overly athletic but this team needs safety help. Why not think about moving Phillips to the safety position? You don’t need as much lateral quickness as a safety, compared to that of a corner or linebacker. He’s also plenty fast enough to get back in coverage. It could be an idea.
As a middle linebacker, however, no thank you.
Fourth Round (Pick #105) – WR Michael Pittman Jr. USC
"The Browns could use a third receiver, especially in the wake of Jarvis Landry’s injury. Pick change; previously Erroll Thompson, LB"
The son of Michael ‘Biceps’ Pittman, the SuperBowl winning running back of Tampa Bay fame, Pittman Jr. has a lot to live up to. While his father was no Hall of Famer, Pittman Sr. helped Mike Alstott and that Tampa Bay offense stay on the field long enough to give their defense time to rest, recover and regroup. A steady player, his son could be as good as he is, if not better.
Pittman had a good senior year for the Trojans and showed some good agility both on the field and at the combine. He’s not some combine-hero however, and that’s ok. He’s the perfect type of receiver to have in the slot. He’s praised for his physicality too, which will help out the Browns running attack in 2020. Wide receivers who don’t mind bodying people at the point of contact are always welcomed on this team.
There’s not a lot of on his route running abilities or lack thereof. That’s an area that can make or break a player. After all, the greatest wide receiver of all time wasn’t the biggest, strongest or fastest. He was simply the best route runner. So if it’s a good enough trait for Jerry Rice, it’s a good enough trait for every receiver.
Sixth Round (Pick #168) – QB Khalil Tate, Arizona University
"With a new front office in place, the Browns could be looking for a young quarterback to groom as their backup of the future."
No.
Khalil Tate might be a great prospect, but to draft a quarterback, to play quarterback? Why? The Browns already have a young player at the position who’s not going anywhere anytime soon. The team needs veterans behind him who can step in and fill the void in the case of an injury.
Purdue’s tight end Bryce Hopkins is available still, according to this mock draft. Considering the next pick, who knows if that’d make sense. Yet, there’s also linebacker Joe Bachie who’s from the area, and another Cleveland offensive linemen in Ben Cleveland of the Georgia Bulldogs. (Not sure if Ben and Ezra are related).
Another name to consider is Michigan State’s, Josiah Scott. The Browns need help in the secondary and they could find some real gems in the later rounds. Scott wouldn’t need to play much early on and could find a niche as a nickel or dime cornerback as a rookie.
Even Navy’s star quarterback, Malcolm Perry, makes more sense here, as he’s coming out as a wide receiver. The team should absolutely not waste a pick on a quarterback. Especially not one so late. Draft a kicker, a punter, a return man. Hell, draft a long-snapper. Draft anyone, or any position here. Just don’t draft a quarterback. Talk about a waste of a pick.
Sixth Round (Pick #169) – TE Jacob Breeland, Oregon University
"David Njoku has been a disappointment thus far, so the Browns are expected to use a pick on a tight end at some point."
No truer words have ever been said about Njoku. Jacob Breeland isn’t the tight end that I’m over the moon about, but this late in the draft you’re just hoping to find players who can play a role, let alone make the team. Breeland’s combine stats aren’t known, but he’s big and heavy and could be a valid blocker in heavy packages or on the goalline.
This late, I’d rather see the Browns go after Hopkins if he’s still on the board (which in this mock he is.) With the three upgrades to the offensive line already in this mock draft, you don’t need to think of this move as a ‘blocking for necessity’ type of situation. You can go get a player who can help actually catch the ball, and that would be Hopkins. Hopkins isn’t a player that I’d be super high on earlier in the draft but here in the sixth-round, he makes sense.
Looking at Hopkins numbers, he’s faster, maybe as strong and is a heck of a lot more athletic than Breeland. This should be about finding a player of caliber and quality this late, and someone who can actually make an impact. Getting a tight end in the sixth round who’s best quality is blocking just seems like a bad idea with how much help this offense needs all around.
Sixth Round (Pick #182) – DE Trevis Gipson, DE
"With Olivier Vernon on his way out, the Browns will need to find some new pass rushers this offseason."
Absolutely not. Gipson is listed at 6’4, but he’s probably a good two inches shorter than that. He’s also not in the greatest shape and is listed at 268lb. So he’s a short, unathletic and assuming he loses some of that weight, light defensive end? What? Why? No. Especially, not someone who played four seasons, and only had 13 career sacks.
Not when there are other players on the board, according to this mock. Players like Boise State’s John Hightower could find a home as a receiver in Cleveland. Clemson guard John Simpson could provide some depth and options assuming some of the higher picks don’t pan out. Patrick Taylor out of Memphis could add some depth to the backfield. Yet there’s one name that should be on the list if he’s still available.
The Browns need help in the secondary and why not a four-year player, a three-year starter, two time National Champion and one-time National Champion runner up in Clemson’s safety Tanner Muse?
He’s got legit 4.40-40 yard speed, he’s big and physical and some experts feel he can play both safety or linebacker. He’s already bigger than Phillips and faster than he is, and has better lateral speed. He’s faster than him in a footrace and sure, maybe he’s not as strong as Phillips but overall he’s a better prospect on paper. Makes for a better option than a slow, short, and unimpressive defensive end.