DraftTek’s 2021 NFL mock draft was a homerun for the Browns.
Next up on our march to the NFL Draft is a review of DraftTek’s 2021 NFL mock draft. Unlike the first one we’ve done, this mock draft was pretty close to perfect for the Browns. We have a few more to review before Thursday.
As a reminder, each pick is being judged on four criteria.
- Positional need (does the Browns need that position.
- Positional fit (does the player have the attributes to play in the Browns’ scheme)
- Was the player taken too high or too low?
- Does the player possess something that helps him stand out?
The criteria is what it is to avoid talking about game-tape or expectations, as it’s almost impossible to determine who’s going to be a success for the team. It will factor a bit in one category but mostly it’s about filling the need the best the team can.
With that, pick number 26 is up first.
I like this pick more than the one from Sporting News, who went with Azeez Ojulari here. Gregory Rousseau is a solid pick, especially with Jaelan Phillips off the board. Which in this mock he is (No. 19 to KC). The other names that could work here are the next picks that went after Rousseau; Richie Grant and Asante Samuel Jr. Both fit just as well.
Now as we talked about before, this is a four-step process. Does Rousseau fit a need? No, the Browns are set at defensive end unless someone gets hurt. Does he fit the scheme? Yes, he strikes me more of a Kevin Carter type on the end, but yes, on paper, he fits. Was he taken too high or low? No, this is a good spot to take him if the Browns stick with taking a defensive end. Does he have anything about that stands out? Yes, he’s a bonafide pass rusher, with tremendous size (6’7)
If he can learn to get his hands up more often, he could be swatting passes away like J.J. Watt and Dikembe Mutombo.
Grade: B
Now, on paper, Nico Collins is a gem. He’s big, fast, strong, and can seemingly do everything you’d need a receiver to do. That said, we have criteria to dive into.
Now our first question is positional need, do we need Collins? On paper, no. Don’t confuse want for a need. The Browns have three bonafide starters and another three who could be if given the chance. Granted, only two, Odell Beckham Jr. and Ryan Switzer have any real wheels to speak of, but still, the Browns are good at receiver as the team stands today.
Despite not fitting a need, does he fit the scheme? Yes, despite the team having an abundance of receivers, they have a dearth of speed at the position. Collins would help the team out mightly and with really only Beckham and Switzer who can go over the top (if Switzer is given a shot) Collins could be useful in stretching defenses.
As far as his attributes go, the fact he’s still here is shocking, so no, the player isn’t taken too low.
Lastly, is there an x-factor? Yes, he’s got 4.42 speed, which is good, but he’s also 6’4, which is good too. Now, you don’t need size, but if you have a crop of smaller receivers, having someone long enough to do jump balls is a nice bonus.
Grade: B
Oh, we’re getting into some real nice picks. Chazz Surratt, in the third round? Yikes, someone messed up. Surratt easily covers a need for the Browns. They need linebackers with duel abilities to drop in coverage and blitz when needed, and Surratt clearly can do that. His 12 career sacks in just two seasons of true action is a great sign for scouts. The Browns linebackers are, as a whole, awful. So Surratt fits a need.
Scheme-wise, yes, he fits, though his pass-rushing skills may go to waste in Joe Wood’s defense. That said he’s a high-volume tackler (206 in two years) and would be a reliable guy to pull down tight ends or receivers. ProFootballNetwork calls him a three-down player, which is what the Browns need.
As far as where he was taken in the draft, it’s fair to say this is a steal of a player. Sure, he may not have the ceiling as a Zaven Collins or a Micha Parsons but he has a high floor, so he shouldn’t come into the league and fail to catch on.
With regards to the intangibles, yeah. He’s got them. We talked before about his beastly stats, but he’s also insanely fast, with multiple outlets claiming anywhere from 4.59 to 4.50 40-yard times. With speed like that the Browns will be able to secure the edges.
Grade: A
While Aaron Robinson isn’t going to be known for his massive amount of turnovers (one in college), Robinson is another great fit for the Browns, who are eager to improve their secondary. For Robinson, he clearly fits a need. The Browns corners have improved, greatly, but they’re still looking for a fourth player to join the others, and possibly a nickel guy if Greedy Williams or Denzel Ward fails to stay healthy.
As far as fit goes, Draft Express claims he’s a great fit inside (which we need) and can handle mixed coverages, which is pretty basic wants from a corner. So yeah, he checks the fit box.
Where we might hit a snag is that ProFootballNetwork isn’t too keen on him. Robinson is fast, but apparently, he doesn’t always live up to that expectation, and for his inconsistency on that trait, they think he’s a late-round pick, so maybe the third round is too high. The reason why he’s so high, however, is his Pro Day. He ran a 4.39 40-yard dash and now everyone thinks he’s going to be the steal of the draft. So it really all depends on if his Pro Day outweighs his tape; I’d argue not.
That said, as far as intangibles go, being able to outrun every receiver you play against seems like a great thing, so yeah, it’s fair to say he checks that box.
Grade: B
The Browns will fluctuate a lot from having three corners to three safeties to three linebackers from time to time during a game. So the Browns will need to have depth at all three positions and going and getting a safety like Caden Sterns isn’t a bad thing. He’s described as being a bit of a project by Draft Network, but a versatile one. Meaning he can play either safety position if needed.
The Browns really only have two starting-caliber safeties that they can rely on, with Ronnie Harrison and new signing John Johnson. No one knows what Grant Delpit is going to be able to bring to the table, and that’s a big concern. He’s coming off of a huge, potentially career-altering injury, so the Browns need depth.
So that’s one box. His versatility and ability to generate turnovers during his time in college are nice signs for his ability to fit in Joe Wood’s scheme.
As far as his value and if he was taken too high or not, ProFootballNetwork considers him a mid-round steal, meaning anywhere from the third to the fifth round is possible, so no, he’s not taken too high.
Lastly, his intangibles, which are pretty off the chart. Sports Illustrated’s Fan Nation lists his attributes as mostly elite, and with a 4.41 40-yard dash, it’s hard to argue against that fact. Having someone fast enough to cover speedy slot guys in a pinch is a big need for any NFL team.
Grade: A
The loss of Sheldon Richardson isn’t a huge one, with regards to what was lost and gained. His production wasn’t elite by any means, but the team is now down one less tackle at an already weak position. So yes, the Browns need a new defensive tackle with starting potential. Jordan Elliot doesn’t appear to be the long-term answer.
As far as a fit goes Tommy Togiai is a three-technique tackle, he fits in any scheme. So he’s clearly a good fit. Now, is he taken too high? There are mocks who think he’ll go undrafted and others that have him as high as the third round, so no, the fourth-round seems perfect.
While he didn’t play a lot at Ohio State, SI describes him as a stellar run stopper, and with a bench press figure of 40 on the 225 bench test, he’s clearly strong enough to translate to the NFL.
As far as his times and such go, he’s got 4.95 40-yard speed, while rocking a 32-inch vertical, a nice 105-inch broad jump, and a solid 7.2 three-cone time. He may be more of a workout warrior than the complete football player at the moment but those natural attributes can translate if given the time to adjust and develop.
Grade: A
Now, the offensive line isn’t seen as a position of need, but it’d be wise for the Browns to start planning for the inevitable departures of some of their biggest names. Joel Bitonio is making a lot of money for a soon-to-be 31-year-old, on a team that’s going to have to pay four guys big money to keep them. So Bitonio could always be a cap casualty. Jack Conklin could be sooner rather than later if the Browns don’t re-up with him soon. His deal is only for three seasons and he’s earned a much bigger payday. Then of course there’s J.C. Tretter, who’s also 30 and making a lot of money just before an offseason where two key players are going to start getting raises.
So yes, Tommy Kraemer does fit a need. Does he fit the scheme? The Draft Network believes he’ll do great in the Browns layered and versatile scheme set up. They describe him as fitting any gap and power schemes, which is a lot of what the Browns run.
Now is he taken too high? The answer is probably, yes. Kraemer had a disappointing but not necessarily bad career at Notre Dame, and despite being on paper a great run-blocker was never the dominant player he was supposed to be with the Irish. NFL Mock Draft Database has him as a seventh-rounder, so the fifth is probably too high.
Now his scheme fit and run blocking skill set seems to be his intangibles, which isn’t something to shake a stick at. So his consistency and ceiling are in question but he could be a huge insurance option if the Browns end up parting ways with Bitonio or if Wyatt Teller walks in free agency.
Grade: B
The Browns are obviously thin at defensive tackle, but they already picked up Tommy Togiai, and with Jordan Elliot on the roster, is there really a need for yet another rookie defensive tackle? While there are players worth having, this draft has really taken care of a lot of needs. So even though this mock still has a burner like Dax Milne available, the fact is they got a nice rookie already. So no, there’s no longer a need for him but there’s not really a need for anyone at this point. So we’ll give him the win just to be fair.
As far as fit goes, Jones is described by the Draft Network as a three-technique defensive tackle who can also slide over to nose tackle if the scheme calls for it. So he’s clearly a fit, as most versatile players can fit anywhere they’re needed to.
As for his place in the draft, it’s the sixth round, someone has to go here. You’re not really going to be scratching your head at many of the names that go this late, because they’re all pretty close to one another with regards to the upside.
For the intangibles, no, Jones is lacking in a lot of areas. Yes, he’s versatile but he’s highly inconsistent and an unproven commodity.
Grade: C
Getting Chazz Surratt in the third to help bolster this weak linebacking corp was a great get. There are many who think Ohio State’s Stuf Borland is going to go in the fourth or fifth round. There are some who don’t have them on their boards. So if he’s still here in the seventh round, score!
Like with the sixth-round pick, Naquan Jones, there no longer is a “need” for any position nine picks in. This draft was well executed. Like with the last pick, we’ll defer to the saying yes, there is a need here, even though every position has been adequately taken care of by now.
As far as fit goes, Borland fits well in the middle of a conventional 4-3 defense, so maybe he doesn’t fit Joe Wood’s scheme perfectly. He’d possibly get reps when the team runs three linebackers, which is rare but does happen. Mostly he’d be a special teams guy. That said he does have 4.7 40-yard speed, which is adequate and despite tearing his Achilles, has mostly returned to form.
So he could be a great scheme fit, potentially.
As far as taken too high, no, it’s the end of the draft. You could literally draft a goat who kicks and people would be like “that’s a good value find by Cleveland”.
Lastly, any intangibles, and yes, Borland has them. Granted, he’s not an uber athlete, but he’s good enough to get by. No, what Borland has going for him is his ability to lead a team, and call defensive plays. Borland is seen by many as the defenses’ quarterback during his time at Ohio State. So even if he only gets to be a special teams player, then the Browns will have a guy who can be a captain of the under-appreciated unit.
Grade: B
Conclusion
This is as perfect of a mock draft for the Browns you could ask for. Sure, some positions you’d like to see swapped with others, but it addressed every potential issue that may arrise. Not even with the defense, which got two linebackers, two defensive tackles, a defensive end, a safety, and a cornerback. No, you also got a guard and a top-flight receiver.
The fact that not one of my preferred guys got picked, but yet everyone but one player got B’s or higher, shows you that this was a well thought out draft and that the folks at Draft Tek really did their homework on not just the needs of the team but the fit the players would have on the team.
The real prizes were Nico Collins, Chazz Surratt, and Tuf Borland. While they aren’t guaranteed to be stars or even make the team, the fact that the Browns were able to land them in this mock draft is incredible. They have upside and potential, which granted doesn’t mean anything tangible at this juncture, for evaluation purposes it’s everything.
Each pick has to have some kind of inherent value upon selection, whether that value translates to production is anyone’s guess. This draft maximized just about every pick the best they could.
Just like before, the final evaluation will be done just like a student’s grade. Each letter grade is a number value, A’s are four, B’s are three, C’s are two, and D’s are one, with F’s not getting you anything. So the final grade for the draft is.