Cleveland Browns bolster defense in 7-round 2021 NFL mock draft
By Kyle Edmond
Round 4, Pick 106
RB. Chuba Hubbard. player. 53. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. Oklahoma State. 4
At this point in the 2021 NFL mock draft, the Cleveland Browns can start to look for players that might be falling and have high potential. That’s exactly where Chuba Hubbard fits in. Hubbard rushed for over 2,000 yards in 2019 and entered the 2020 season as a Heisman hopeful and one of the best backs in the league.
After a disappointing season, he’s now deep on the running back list for the 2021 NFL Draft. While the Browns don’t need a running back yet, it doesn’t hurt to add to the room. Hubbard backing up Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt would be the best backfield in the league without question.
Round 4, Pick 123
DT. player. Scouting Report. 4. 53. Pick Analysis. Florida. Tedarrell Slaton
The Cleveland Browns need a big body to stop the run in the middle of the defensive line and that’s exactly what Tedarrell Slaton would provide. The Browns signed Andrew Billings to play this role, but he opted out so Cleveland could look to add another player to the mix seeing the result of potentially having the role be absent again.
At 6-foot-5, 340 pounds Slaton will take up space and provide better matchups for the edge rushers to get into the backfield while also being a plug to the run game. His stats don’t really jump off the page with just 99 tackles in 38 games as well as 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. However, he would have a clear role in Cleveland should they select him.
Round 5, Pick 161
Pick Analysis. TE. Scouting Report. Ole Miss. Kenny Yeboah. 5. player. 53
The Cleveland Browns have been using three tight end sets frequently this season, but with David Njoku’s unrest with his role being well documented the Browns could be in the market for another tight end next year. In this 2021 NFL mock draft, Cleveland opts to take Kenny Yeboah to fill that role, a tight end that transferred from Temple to Ole Miss prior to the 2020 season and showcased his skills.
In 10 games with Temple in 2019, Yeboah scored five touchdowns on 19 catches while totaling 233 yards receiving. Despite playing three games less in 2020 with Ole Miss, all those numbers improved.
In seven games with Ole Miss, Yeboah was able to find the end zone on six occasions while hauling in 27 passes for 524 receiving yards. That growth and progression is a good sign that should be intriguing to the Browns this late in the draft.
Round 6, Pick 199
player. Pick Analysis. Iowa. Alaric Jackson. OT. 6. 53. Scouting Report
Pick 199. It almost feels like this has to be a quarterback just because, but for once the Cleveland Browns will enter the draft not needing a quarterback. Instead, they invest in depth to protect said quarterback.
The Browns have depth with Chris Hubbard and Nick Harris on the line, but adding another player to the mix wouldn’t hurt. Against the Jets, Cleveland had to turn to Kendall Lamm with Jedrick Wills down and there was a noticeable drop. This isn’t to say that Alaric Jackson will be able to fill in without missing a beat, but he could be an upgrade over Lamm as the backup.
Round 7, Pick 243
Cade Johnson. 53. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. South Dakota State. WR. 7. player
Cade Johnson didn’t play a game in 2020, but he didn’t need it. The shortlist of his achievements includes being an AP First Team All-American in 2019, HERO Sports Second Team All-American in 2018 and Phil Steele Second Team Freshman All-American in 2017.
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He also holds the school record at South Dakota State for single-season touchdowns with 17 in 2018 and entered the 2020 season, had it happened, third in school history for touchdown receptions with 28, fifth in receiving yards with 2,872 and sixth in receptions with 162.
While wide receiver isn’t a glaring need for the Browns, this is the perfect way for them to close out this 2021 NFL mock draft.