2021 Cleveland Browns NFL mock draft – Selecting all 9 picks
By Chad Porto
Round 5, Pick 169: Darrick Forrest, S, Cincinnati
While listed as a safety, his 4.41 speed and potential need at corner could see Darrick Forrest and Elijah Molden switch positions. Forrest is a great late-round prospect and could be a steal with adequate coaching and training. SI’s breakdown of Forrest reads like a what’s-what of a high-end cornerback. He’s got great hips, and transitions smoothly from his backpedal, is very willing to get mixed up in tackles, and has a slender frame that may not be conducive to stopping the run.
That’s everything a corner is usually described as. Plus, Forrest is given praise by SI for his ability to work short zones, deep zones, and man coverage, again, a huge staple of being a corner. Regardless of where Forrest plays in Cleveland, if he were to be drafted, he’d at least be an option to improve the coverage.
The Browns secondary last year was largely a mess, and it started with very weak corner spots. The Browns have, essentially, three safeties for two spots with John Johnson having one spot and Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison taking the other.
That means that Forrest would have time to learn and grow for at least a year or two, before being needed to step in to play significant snaps. That is unless he’s moved to corner.