Cleveland Browns mock draft: Browns solidify defense for Super Bowl run

Round 2, Pick 59

Like the defensive tackle position, the Cleveland Browns don’t have an immediate need at the edge rusher spot. However, with both Jadeveon Clowney and Tak McKinley both on just one-year deals, this becomes a move for the future, just like the defensive tackle pick in the first round.

Gregory Rousseau only has one true season of experience as an edge rusher in college after changing positions and opting out of the 2020 season. While the sample size is small, it’s eyebrow-raising. In 13 games during the 2019 season, Rousseau tallied 19.5 tackles for loss, 15.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. The concern is if he can do that consistently.

Before the season, Rousseau was one of the top edge rushers in the class, but the lack of experience at the collegiate level has dropped his draft stock. In some circles, he’s still viewed as a first-round pick, but here, he falls deep into the second round and the Browns snag him.

Sitting him behind Myles Garrett, Clowney and McKinley for a season is the perfect situation to allow him to grow at the position before emerging in 2022 when Clowney and McKinley move back into free agency.

Round 3, Pick 89

Another player that opted out of the 2020 season and saw his draft stock plummet was Paulson Adebo out of Stanford. Adebo only has 22 games of collegiate experience at Stanford, but he used it well and was able to label himself as a ballhawk for the position. Despite that, a deep cornerback class pushed him down boards and here he falls to the Cleveland Browns in the third round.

Over his 22 games with Stanford, Adebo was able to haul in a total of eight interceptions with four in both 2018 and 2019. On top of that, he registered 27 passes defended with 17 in 2018 and 10 in 2019 with four fewer games than the previous season. He was also able to log 97 tackles over the two seasons.

For Cleveland, they have been searching for a strong cornerback opposite Denzel Ward for a few seasons now. Greedy Williams was thought to be the guy but has been injury-prone, which has really been the theme for the position as a whole. The addition of Troy Hill helps, but the Browns lost Terrance Mitchell among others.

Adebo adds another young cornerback to the group who can learn early in the year and get back into the groove from the missed season of 2020. If there would be an unfortunate injury to the position, though, Adebo has the skill set to step up.

Round 3, Pick 91

The linebacker position stands out as the biggest need for the Cleveland Browns in the 2021 NFL Draft, but that they should also let the draft come to them. In doing so, they address three other positions first and still land a top talent in Dylan Moses to add to their linebacking corps.

Following a common trend among the free-agent additions in Cleveland, Anthony Walker signed just a one-year deal creating a future hole at the position. On top of that, linebackers were one area that was a bit lackluster on the Browns roster this past season. Luckily, Moses walks in ready to play on day one if needed.

At Alabama, Moses put up consistent seasons. They weren’t exactly flashy, but he stuck to his game and played it well. His best season was 2018 when he had 86 total tackles with 10 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks, but missing the 2019 season for injury was a setback for Moses as well as his draft stock.

While he put together a strong 2020 campaign, it didn’t live up to his 2018 stats. Albeit, he was still a productive player for the Crimson Tide and a key part of their defense. For Cleveland, he’s a low-risk, high-reward pick in the third round, being that he may have been a top 10 pick had it not been for the injury.