This Browns 7-round mock draft sees Cleveland trade down in the 1st round.
Our last Browns 7-round mock draft saw the defense score some nice prospects, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. It’s the unit with the most glaring needs.
Mock drafts will continue to lean that way until free agency. The Browns decisions during that period will certainly impact how they move forward in the draft process.
Additionally, rumors of J.J. Watt joins the team are on everyone’s mind. With a pass rusher being a premium need for Cleveland, that move could cermpact how the draft plays out for Andrew Berry and company.
The pre-draft season will be strange, just like the lives of many have been the past year. More attention will be paid to pro days, but really, teams are going to have to rely on what was put on film in college.
A recent mock from NFL.com had Cleveland moving up in the draft, but frankly, I don’t see it. Not with Paul DePodesta dictating strategy.
But trading down? You better believe it’s in play with analytics ruling the day. This mock has the Browns trading down out of the first round…so…here…we…go!
Round 1, Pick 26: Trade down, Falcons
The Falcons need to plan long term at quarterback and with Trevor Lawrence and Justin Fields likely off the board, Atlanta could be a real wild card in this spot. Gambling on BYU’s Zach Wilson or North Dakota Sate’s Trey Lance comes with huge risk, so Atlanta holds here and takes Oregon stud tackle prospect Penei Sewell.
Atlanta still has Matt Ryan and won’t have to force a rookie into the lineup in 2021. They can take the best player available at No. 4 while still getting their quarterback of the future later in the first round.
Enter the Browns. Atlanta will send Cleveland the 35th overall pick and a third-rounder this year to move up from No. 35 to No. 26, where they select Alabama’s Mac Jones.
Trading down stinks, but it’s a little easier to deal with when you’re going from pick No. 26 to, say No. 35.
Pro Football Focus recently highlighted how Jones is basically as good a prospect as Tua Tagolovoila was a season ago when it comes to throwing the deep ball.
Atlanta gets their quarterback and left tackle of the future and the Browns get an extra pick.
Round 2, pick 35: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, ND
After trading down nine spots, it becomes a little easier to mock a linebacker to the Browns.
With analytics putting emphasis on targeting big money positions, such as edge rusher and corner, it’s hard to envision Cleveland taking a linebacker in the first round. There’s a caveat to that though, because they could take a LB who they believe can line up as a 4-3 defensive end.
So, with the 35th pick, the Browns tap Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to fix their defensive woes.
Pro Football Focus noted how he boasts “pure explosiveness,” and that’s exactly what the Browns defense needs. The images of Devin Bush dominating at the position during the Super Bowl for Tampa is still fresh in the minds of Browns’ fans.
To get an idea of what speed can do, look no further than how Jacob Phillips performed in 2020. He’s far from a finished product, but the speed that the LSU product brought to the field was a evident.
As for Owusu-Koromoah, PFF noted he has the potential to become an elite coverage linebacker.
Round 2, Pick 59: Rashad Weaver
If the Browns end up with J.J. Watt, I really, really like this pick. Even if the Brown don’t get J.J. Watt, I still really like this pick.
If Watt does come to Cleveland, he’ll likely be lining up on the edge. Alas, he’s also a stud when asked to line up on the interior, so adding someone like Weaver to the mix only makes the Browns stronger.
Plus, if the Browns do get Watt, Cleveland won’t be getting a player who’s going to play 95 percent of the defense snaps. At age 32, Joe Woods will likely deploy Watt on 60-65 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
This means the Browns are going to need players to produce when Watt’s getting rest. Weaver is an exceptional talent capable of getting to the quarterback. I’m also still on high on another Weaver–Curtis Weaver–who was a sack machine at Boise State.
He was drafted by the Dolphins in 2020 but waived in camp after suffering an injury. The Browns scooped him up and stashed him on IR. He should be ready for training camp.
Round 3, Pick 89: Jackson Carman, OT, Clemson
The Browns are in the spot where they can take a lineman, stick him on the bench, and let him incubate. For some reason, I always think of the Steelers’ ability to do this, especially during the Ben Roethlisberger era. Until very recently, Pittsburgh always seemed to have a guy they were ready to plug into the line.
With that in mind, the Browns have to go with Fairfield, Ohio native Jackson Carman here. He played some big-time ball at Clemson and would bolster the depth in both the near- and long-term.
Admittedly, Carman is a wild card when it comes to determining where he’ll actually be drafted. I’ve seen him go late in the first in some mocks, but mostly, I’ve seen prognosticators tap him for the third round.
That said, it may be wishful thinking that he lasts to pick 89. I’d be wiling to trade up in the round to get him.
Round 3, Pick 91: Tyson Campbell, Georgia, CB
Tyson Campbell stands at 6-foot-3 and has blazing speed. Imagine having him in the secondary when the Browns go up against Patrick Mahomes, Tyreke Hill and the Chiefs.
So, why is he projected to slip all the way to No. 91? Despite his physical gifts, he didn’t produce the interception numbers you’d expect to see.He had just one pick in 31 career games.
Plus, if you watched enough of the SEC this past season, you probably saw him get torched. That raises awareness questions ahead of draft day.
When you get to this part of the draft, though, you’re really gambling on things on like physical traits, so that makes Campbell an ideal selection if he’s still available.
As noted earlier, the Browns need more speed on the field and Campbell would provide depth behind Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams.
Campbell’s speed indicates that he’ll be able to hang with NFL wideouts–he just needs some coaching up to avoid giving up those big plays.
Round, 3, Pick 93: Tommy Togiai, DT, Ohio State
This is the pick the Browns acquired from the Falcons in our mock trade for trading out of the first round.
Cleveland takes its first Buckeye since John Dorsey made Denzel Ward the No. 4 pick of the 2018 draft.
Other defensive tackles such as Alim McNeil and Tyler Shelvin may be rated slightly higher, but Togiai is a better fit for t4-3 front used by the Browns. He’s Hulkishly strong and is already a proven run stuffer.
Alas, the Browns want all their linemen to hit home, and Togiai did show an ability to get to the quarterback. There’s still a lot to develop there, but he has potential.
Larry Ogunjobi probably won’t be back next season as he’s ready to make bank in free agency, so opportunity is knocking for someone. Andrew Billings, a player signed last March in free agency should get a look after opting out of 2020.
Jordan Elliott, who was taken late in last year’s draft, should also see more reps.
Even with these two players in the mix, the Browns need to add bodies at the position and Togiai’s potential can’t be dismissed.
Round 4, Pick No. 101: Baron Browning
Another Ohio State player, but don’t call me a homer. I loved the Donovan Peoples-Jones a year ago and didn’t give a rip he went to Michigan. As long as the players chosen help the Browns win, bring ’em on board–and Browning fits a team need.
My favorite thing about Browning is speed. Ohio State’s performance against Alabama in the national title game was forgettable, but Browning had some moments. By using pure speed, he found himself in Alabama’s backfield and forced a strip stack of Mac Jones.
He also has the ability to fill in the gaps and finish off running backs.
As for defending the pass, his speed will always give him potential to be a three-down backer. That said, this part of his game does need some work.
I’ve seen Browning mocked in the early parts of the draft, but I think rounds 3-4 are the likely landing spot.
Round 4, Pick 123 Dayo Odeyingbo, ED, Vanderbilt
Odeyingbo looks the part, standing at 6-foot-6, 276 pounds. He played in only eight games before opting out to prepare for the draft. Before he closed the book on his collegiate career career, he picked up 5.5 sacks while tallying 32 total tackles.
The No. 1 thing to note about Odeyingbo is his quick first step. It helps him to play both edge, in addition to giving him potential to go inside.
As the Browns wait to see who wins the J.J. Watt sweepstakes, they need to put a premium on adding pass rushers. I wasn’t expecting Adrian Clayborn and Porter Gustin to win defensive player of the year honors, but I think there’s room for improvement in those situational roles.
I could see the Browns signing a veteran in the mold of Clayborn, as they did last offseason, but adding another one here would certainly be optimal.
Round 5, Pick 153 Cornell Powell, Clemson
His height (6-foot) is a bit on the small size, but his build (210 pounds) should have him competing for the football.
He falls to the fifth round because it took him awhile to break out at Clemson, and he really didn’t string any consistency together.
That said, he caught 457 balls for 882 yards. (16.6 average) and found the end zone seven times.
And while his skills may not be “elite,” he still has value as receiver, especially when going underneath or when put in space.
The Browns should look to shakeup the bottom of the depth chart at wide receiver. Jarvis Landry will be back next season, while Donovan Peoples-Jones should play a bigger role, especially with OBJ missing a lot of time in 2021 rehabbing his torn ACL.
We think Rashard Higgins will be back, and the coaching staff really liked Kha’Darel Hodge as a blocker.
Round 6, Pick 187: Briley Moore, K-State, TE
The Browns are in the hunt for J.J. Watt, and have just north of $21 million cap space available. They can create more room with more roster decisions–which leads me to David Njoku.
The Browns have picked up his fifth-year option, but I can’t envision the team brining him back at $6 million to play the same role he had in 2020. Njoku would snag a nice catch, disappear for two weeks, then re-emerge with two catches that went for nice chunks. Rinse and repeat.
The organization is obviously committed to Austin Hooper, whom they signed in free agent last winter. Rookie Harrison Bryant also had a promising first season.
That leaves the door open for Moore, a player I had previously mocked to Cleveland.
His collegiate career has been a journey in which he’s dealt with injuries, while transferring from Northern Iowa to Kansas State.
He could’ve played a sixth college season, but he decided to turn pro after hauling in the most receptions by a Kansas State tight end in eight seasons (22). He also had the most yards at the position (338) since 2014. He added three touchdowns, as well.
Round 7, Pick 222 (from Bills) Jamar Johnson, S, Indiana
Perhaps it’s wishful thinking to believe he’ll hang around this long, but Jamar Johnson would be a good developmental candidate to add to the roster.
It was a little surprising to see him leave school early. He notched four interception as a junior in what Indiana blogers called his “breakout year.” Building off that season might’ve improved his stock. Other mock drafters have him going in the sixth round.
That said, there’s still the pandemic looming over sports and this is Johnson’s shot to turn football into a living.
I’ve gone over the top of the depth chart already, as Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams are the starters on paper. From this point forward, we’ll always be cautious of Williams until he proves he can make it through an entire season.
As for the lower part of the depth chart, the Browns just released Robert Jackson, while Terrance Mitchell is set to walk in free agency. Kevin Johnson’s contract is up, as well.
Johnson could fill the developmental role filled by A.J. Green last season. The Browns really liked the Oklahoma State product after plucking him from the undrafted free-agent market.
He was eventually activated to the 53-man roster when the Browns were losing corners to injuries/COVID protocols.