5 players the Browns must consider win the 1st round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
With the NFL Draft still scheduled to take place in Cleveland, fans will be waiting until pick No. 26 for the Browns to make their choice.
There’s a lot to do this offseason and the expectation is that Cleveland will invest heavily in their defense after spending the 2020 offseason loading up on offense.
In an effort to lift up Baker Mayfield, the Browns signed a big-time free agent in right tackle Jack Conklin, while drafting left tackle Jedrick Wills. The team also acquired a fullback via trade, while adding signing tight end Austin Hooper to a hefty contract.
It worked, as the Browns put forth one of the most explosive offensive seasons the fan base had ever seen.
On defense, the needs are great. Cleveland has some outstanding players on the unit in Myles Garrett, Denzel Ward and Ronnie Harrison Jr, but there are questions surrounding the injury history of Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit, in addition to having no impact player at linebacker.
Here’s five players the Browns must consider in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.
1. Ronnie Perkins, EDGE, Oklahomna
If the Browns are looking for a gunner to lineup opposite of Myles Garrett, Ronnie Perkins would be the choice if he’s still available with the 26th pick.
Perkins will leave school early to go pro, and had a tremendous season after sitting out the Sooners’ first five games because of a suspension. He and two other players were suspended before the 2019 Peach Bowl for a failed drug test, according to reports.
When he got on the field, Perkins’ name was a constant in the box score as he tallied 10.5 tackles for a loss, as well as 5.5 sacks and 19 hurries in just six games. PFF graded him out with a mark of 90.5, which is considered “elite.”
Looking at mocks right now, Perkins isn’t always listed as a first-round pick. He was certainly disruptive at college and his stock will likely increase in the pre-draft process.
That’s especially true with the defensive end class being viewed as weaker compared to the recent past.
2. Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa
The case for Zaven Collins couldn’t be simpler. He’s potentially a difference-making linebacker who was a successful blitzer, who could also drop into coverage.
The big question remains whether the front office will commit a first-round pick to the linebacker position. The big money positions on defense are edge rushers and cornerbacks and the Browns could use one of each.
However, as previously mentioned, it’s a weak class for defensive ends and the Browns might want to commit a first-round pick on a corner, considering Greedy Williams should be back in 2021. That said, perhaps the Browns won’t feel they can count on the LSU product. He’s still very unproven and drafting a corner in the first round would solidify the spot.
But the Browns simply can’t ignore linebackers any longer. Who’s the team’s blitzing linebacker? They don’t have one. There’s tackling issues. There’s coverage issues. It’s a hot mess.
Collins totaled 16 pressures on 51 rushes, according to Pro Football Focus and posted a coverage grade of 93.7.
3. Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia
The Browns would seem to be stout at corner with Greedy Williams returning in 2021, but can the Browns bank on him playing an entire season? Williams still has a lot to prove as he’s missed more games than he’s played throughout two NFL seasons.
That’s why corner should be on the table for the Browns in 2021, which is why Georgia’s Tyson Campbell should be an option.
Plus, if you’re going to be playing a team like the Chiefs again in the playoffs, you’re going to need three starting caliber corners to matchup against Patrick Mahomes.
Campbell had just one career interception at Georgia, but he’s got nice size at 6-foot-2, and he can run the 40 in the 4.4’s–and is rumored to breaking into the 4.3’s.
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler recently mocked him to go 21st to the Colts. He didn’t start finding his stride until this past season (when he was a junior), so the pick would be about upside.
Either way, it’s an insurance policy for a position group that seems to get hammered by injuries season-after-season.
4. Rodarius Williams, CB, Oklahoma State
Another corner? Frankly, I don’t think you can have enough, or did you forget about Tyreke Hill losing M.J. Stewart with a simple pivot in the most important part of the AFC Divisional matchup?
This is another insurance policy for Greedy Williams, and interestingly, it comes in the form of his brother– Oklahoma State’s Rodarius Williams.
Williams was always steady while playing in Stillwater, but his stock jumped through the roof in his junior season.
PFF called Williams the No. 5 breakout player in the country, giving him a grade of 80.8 through six games, when through the same point in 2019, Williams had a mark of 65.4.
The Browns are analytically oriented, so you can’t ignore what the “Analytics Bible” says about the corner.
You’re not seeing Williams name in the first-round of a lot of mocks right now, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see that changed as the offseason pre-draft process commences.
5. Jalean Phillips, EDGE, Miami
The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mocked Jaelean Phillips to the Browns with the 26th pick.
Brugler admits, the decision could come down to how Phillips’ medicals look, but if he’s cleared, he’d be the draft expert’s pick. Phillips suffered multiple ankle injuries at UCLA. He was also in a moped accident that left him with a broken wrist.
For a time, he thought about quitting football, however, he decided to stick with it, transferred to Miami and made his debut with the Hurricanes Oct. 8.
Brugler contends that Phillips’ movement and handwork are what makes him a likely first-round selection.
I continue to advocate for a linebacker, but with the money the Browns have to dump into their current players, signing a big-time defensive end to play opposite of Garrett isn’t realistic. The Browns can save on a premier position by getting someone on their rookie contract, which is why it won’t be surprising to see them go with an EDGE defender.
As far as the Browns current crop of players go, they have nobody to provide a consistent rush outside of Myles Garrett.
Olivier Vernon started to play well before suffering a season-ending injury, but his contract with the Browns is up and he’ll likely miss most of the 2021 season rehabbing.