The Cleveland Browns have been one of the more active teams this offseason with Jadeveon Clowney, Tak McKinley, John Johnson III, Troy Hill, Anthony Walker, Sheldon Day and Malik Jackson topping the list of signees for the team. While the Browns have been no stranger to free agency over the last few seasons, this year’s actions come with even more purpose.
Not only did the Cleveland Browns post a winning season during the 2020 season, but they made the playoffs and tallied a postseason victory as well. Now, the Browns brass has their eyes set on something much larger, the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance and Lombardi trophy.
It still might seem a little awkward to read Cleveland and Super Bowl in a non-sarcastic way, much less as a possibility, but that’s the reality that is happening for the Browns. For now, the front office remains focused on this week’s 2021 NFL Draft, which just so happens to be in their backyard.
With so few holes remaining on the roster, the Browns can, for the first time in a long time, allow this draft to come to them rather than needing to reach for specific positions. Even last year, there was a clear need at left tackle and safety. This year, the initial holes were addressed in free agency, so the team can focus on adding depth and bolstering the roster for a deep playoff run.
Note: This mock draft was completed by using the mock draft machine at The Draft Network.
Round 1, Pick 26
As mentioned above, the Browns kickoff this mock draft by letting the draft come to them. While linebacker may end up being the top priority for Cleveland, taking one here is not a must by any means. With Micah Parsons going to Arizona, Zaven Collins to Las Vegas and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah to Washington in this mock, the Browns opt for a different position in this mock draft.
Cleveland has already signed Malik Jackson and Sheldon Day this offseason and they should get Andrew Billings back who opted out of the 2020 season. However, all three are under contract for just one season. That paired with releasing Sheldon Richardson and losing Larry Ogunjobi to free agency creates a long-term hole at the defensive tackle position and opens the door for Christian Barmore.
Over two seasons at Alabama, Barmore put together a strong stat line over 22 games that was highlighted by 15.5 tackles for loss. On top of that, he added 10 sacks, eight of which came in 2021, along with 63 total tackles and three forced fumbles.
Given the future need of the position in Cleveland and the impressive sample size of Barmore over two seasons at Alabama, this pick is becoming more and more clear as the draft nears.
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.
Round 4, Pick 110
While the starting unit is set on the offensive line for the Cleveland Browns, they did run into some depth concerns this past season and might look to address that in the mid or late rounds of the 2021 NFL Draft. Chris Hubbard is the clear backup tackle, but adding more depth in the interior of the line would be a good move here.
With the pick, they opt for Kendrick Green out of Illinois. Green started 32 games on the Illinois offensive line over the last three seasons, being predominately a left guard with a few spot starts at center when needed. Green ended the season as a second-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection. He’s also shown great leadership qualities off the field, organizing a Black Lives Matter march for Illini students in August.
Round 4, Pick 132
While Chris Hubbard provides depth at the right tackle position and can move inside if needed, the Cleveland Browns don’t have a clear backup left tackle on the roster. The depth chart on Ourlads.com shows it to be Alex Taylor and Greg Senat, so drafting one is far from out of the range of possibilities.
While at East Carolina, D’Ante Smith played left tackle for the last three seasons, being one of the top tackles in program history. He also has experience at guard as well, providing a similar skill set to Hubbard. Being in the fourth round, Smith would provide depth this season but also an option to replace Hubbard next year with Hubbard being set to become a free agent after this upcoming season.
Round 5, Pick 169
While it seems like David Njoku will remain in Cleveland, at least for now, the uncertainty surrounding Njoku could open the door for the Browns to explore another tight end in this draft. They added both Austin Hooper and Harrison Bryant who transformed the position but losing Njoku could take a level out of the group.
Adding Quintin Morris wouldn’t make up for the loss of Njoku completely, but a similar skill set would present the opportunity for Morris to grow into a similar role. A wide receiver turned tight end, Morris is still learning some aspects of the position, but an athletic frame and skill set gives upside for growth. There’s work that will take time, but taking him in the fifth round as a depth player is a great situation for both sides of this move.
Round 6, Pick 211
The Cleveland Browns should look a lot better at the safety position during the upcoming season with Grant Delpit returning from injury and the signing John Johnson III. With that being said, they could add more depth. The top two depth players of the unit are Ronnie Harrison and Sheldrick Redwine, both of whom have been hit and miss for production.
In the sixth round, these players are mainly shots in the dark with upside and that hits Paris Ford on the head. Only 23 games played at Pittsburgh, including a down year in 2020, Ford showed flashes in 2019 with 90 tackles, nine passes defended and three interceptions. While his 2020 campaign didn’t meet expectations, he still was able to tally another three interceptions.
The talent is there for Ford and the Browns have enough of a need at the position that the fit makes sense at this point in the draft to round out their class.