2020 NFL Draft: The Cleveland Browns would be wise to trade down

The Cleveland Browns have a tough task to reload this year’s team quickly, and trading down in the 2020 NFL Draft might be the way to achieve that.

The Cleveland Browns have made splashes this off-season that would lend some to believe the team is trying to win now. The team has the 10th overall pick in the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft, but the best move for the team may be to move from that position. Right now the consensus position pick for the selection is an offensive tackle. Yet, most of the offensive tackles that high have some glaring issue. The team also still needs a guard, another wide receiver and help all over the defense. Trading down just makes sense.

There’s the possibility the Raiders could part with the 19th pick and the 12th pick to move up to the 10th slot. That would be ideal, but Jon Gruden has been attempting to acquire draft picks since taking over the job with the Raiders, so unless someone really blows him away is at the slot, don’t expect a trade to happen. Then again, this was also the head coach that OK’ed the move for the Raiders to draft a kicker in the first round once, so who knows with this man.

The Miami Dolphins seem much more possible since they have the 5th, 18th and 26th pick in the Draft. The 18th and 26th pick for the 10th seems very reasonable and would allow the Browns to drop back far enough to justify taking the (potentially) best tackle in Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland. Cleveland is projected to be a later first-round, early second-round pick. The team could then position themselves to get a pair badger of Wisconsin Badgers in linebacker Zach Baun and offensive center/guard Tyler Biadasz.

The Vikings and 49ers are also teams with two first-round selections that the team could make a deal with but their picks aren’t as good position wise as Oakland or Miami’s and you run the risk of being too high to draft Cleveland or too low and missing him altogether. The only other team with two first-round picks is Jacksonville, and they have the 9th pick in the draft. It would make no sense for them to drop back one spot, and give up their first-rounder in the process.

Trading down may not be the most glamorous thing, but considering the NFL’s historical track record with big, “super-athletic”, left tackles, the best move would be to avoid drafting someone with so many question marks as Mekhi Becton. The Browns moving down to fill multiple spots of need is exactly what a “win-now” team should worry about.

That and getting Ezra Cleveland.