Browns 7-round mock draft: Impact prospects make defense a juggernaut

Round 3, pick 91: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU

The Browns have two third-round picks in 2021, and with this spot, the team should look no further: Draft a linebacker!

Based off one draft, it doesn’t look like Andrew Berry and the analytically oriented offense puts great value on linebacker, so drafting one here falls in line with where the Browns picked Jacob Phillips in 2020 (fourth round).

If Berry goes linebacker here, he should go with another LSU Tiger in Jabril Cox. Cox starred at South Dakota State and transferred to LSU to boost his NFL stock.

LSU had a down year after winning the national title in 2020, but Cox still did enough to warrant being picked at this spot.

He possesses good speed and should help out at the second level. He’s excellent downhill (like Sione Takitaki), but unlike the the BYU product, he should better in coverage.

Unfortunately, it isn’t realistic to expect Cox to start this season, but he doesn’t have to be in the lineup on day one. The Browns slowly brought Phillips along and he should log more snaps next season.

It’s my expectation that Phillips and Takitaki are starters in 2021, with someone like Mack Wilson, or perhaps a cheap free-agent signee filling in the third spot. B.J. Goodson signed a one year deal last offseason, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Browns try to retrain him with a similar contract to add stability to the corps.