Cleveland Browns 2021 mock draft: Taking the next step to contend
![Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) rushes back to the locker room after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns Extras 10](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2F1f49c319703aaeb291ac93c95e002f9c85106cc43476452f18c8d8b24c8f12a1.jpg "Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) rushes back to the locker room after beating the Pittsburgh Steelers in an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2021, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. [Jeff Lange/Beacon Journal]Browns Extras 10")
The stars almost aligned perfectly for the Cleveland Browns in the 2020 season. After a dominating road win in the playoffs against their division rival Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns had a legit shot at upsetting the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
With Patrick Mahomes out with a concussion, the Browns nearly clawed their way back to victory in Kansas City but they fell short. Now, the focus is on the 2021 NFL Draft and 2021 offseason in general and how they can press even closer to contention in the AFC.
Thanks to the Saints and Eagles, the Browns have additional picks in the third and fourth round, and what they do with these very valuable six selections will be key to the team’s ability to contend both present and future.
What will they do with those six picks in the first four rounds? Let’s try to predict in this Cleveland Browns 2021 mock draft.
Cleveland Browns 2021 mock draft: 1st pick
The Cleveland Browns’ defense showed it has some playmaking ability at every level this year, but does it have enough playmaking ability?
Can you ever really have enough?
The Browns’ defense, run by coordinator Joe Woods, emphasizes strong press-man coverage and that is where a player like Eric Stokes excels.
He especially excelled this past season for Georgia, picking off four passes and showing what kind of asset his size and length can be at the position.
Playing on the opposite side of the field from Denzel Ward, this would give the Browns a pair of young corners to build around and not to mention, the team’s duo of former LSU defensive backs — Greedy Williams and Grant Delpit — should be healthy and back in the fray in 2021.
This selection gives the Browns potential for a very deep, young, and talented secondary unit.