Browns 7-round mock draft: Free agency paves way for trade down

Round 7, pick 257 (from Bills) Ian Book, QB, Notre Dame

Notre Dame is easy to pick on for disappearing in the college football playoffs, but that shouldn’t take anything away from Ian Book, who leaves the school as the winningest quarterback in Irish history.

PFF puts Book as the 260th rated player on its big board. There’s always a rush on quarterbacks, but if he’s available, he’d be worth the pick.

Nope, this isn’t some long-term plan to oust Baker Mayfield from the starter’s job, rather, it’s a chance for the Browns to build depth at the position and hopefully turn this pick into an asset that can one day be traded for a higher pick.

Plus, it’s hard to see Case Keenum remaining on the roster past 2021. Cleveland has a potential out with Keenum after this season, where he’ll only count north of a $1 million of dead money on the cap. If Keenum is here in 2022, he’ll earn $6.5 million.

With so many players to take care of internally, it’s just hard to see the Browns paying that.