Browns: 3-round mock draft nets two defensive starters

2. Hamsah Nasirildeen, S, Florida State

The selection of Hamsah Nasirldeen would certainly be what Browns’ defensive coordinator Joe Woods is looking for.

If Zaven Collins is available at No. 26, I expect the Browns to pass, and this pick highlights why wouldn’t take the Tulsa product.

Woods would love to employ a three-safety look to pair with two linebackers, so how could they spend a first-round pick on a player who, as a rookie, might not be able to be an every-down player?

As for Nasirildeen, he looks tailor-made for what the Browns want to do: He’s played deep middle free safety, but he’s also lined up as an outside linebacker near the line of scrimmage.

When Nasirldeen’s name is mentioned, I think of a player the Browns will ask to try and cover opposing tight end, a quagmire many a Cleveland coaching staffs have been unable to crack.

Nasirldeen played just two games in 2020. If he was asked to be a starting safety in a traditional free and strong scheme, he’d probably need some time to incubate. But with team’s going in three-team sets more and more often, he’s certainly capable of cracking the starting lineup, or accumulating a lot of snaps to slow down the opposition’s passing game.