WalterFootball’s first 2023 NFL Mock draft for the Cleveland Browns

"Round 5, Pick 7 (No. 142) Browns: Dee Winters, LB, TCU The Browns re-signed Anthony Walker, but that was for only one year. They could lose him after this season. Dee Winters is a solid run defender who can stand to improve in coverage."

The Cleveland Browns need a linebacker. They don’t need this linebacker. Dee Winters seems like the kind of guy who the Browns would love to have. He’s big, 6’1/6’2, and well over 230 pounds. He’s fast, pushing a 4.49 40-time, and he has shown an ability to get to the quarterback in 2022, accumulating 7.5 sacks. Granted, that’s the only time he’s ever had that many in a season.

Winters is not a good prospect, and unless you’re only looking at a special teams player in round-five, and wanting him to sprint down-field, Winters is not the kind of guy you want to draft. He’s been a starter for about three seasons, and in his time at TCU, he has not graded-out well

PFF gave him a 64.1 in 2020, and then 46.7 in 2021, and 53.4 in 2022. His game scores were terrible, but he did put up nice grades against Wisconsin and Michigan this year.

The Draft Network has a pretty awful evaluation of him, stating that he can’t shed blocks and that he has trouble sniffing out the run game. Considering the Browns need strong linebackers who can stop the run, and they’re not going to be known for blitzing a lot, getting a guy whose only big asset is chasing after a quarterback, on occasion, doesn’t seem like the best use of this pick.

Would I Draft Him?: No. He’s got too many holes in his game to draft someone this high. Especially as he’ll be a backup for a core of linebackers with a serious history of injury.

Grade: F