Remember when the Cleveland Browns were the winners of the 2019 Offseason Bowl? That was probably the most over-hyped team since the 2011 “Dream Team” Eagles. However, this is still a pretty strong roster that could very well shine this season with a new coaching staff led by former Vikings OC Kevin Stefanski. The Browns were once again active in free agency but putting together a solid draft could really put this team over the top in 2020. I’ll see if I can put together such a draft using the Mock Draft Simulator from TheDraftNetwork.com
QB Baker Mayfield had a very disappointing sophomore season in the NFL and the offensive line did him no favors. Improving the line, particularly at the tackle spots, was priority #1 heading into this offseason. They figured out half the equation by signing Jack Conklin away from the Tennessee Titans, but left tackle remains a concern and will likely be the target with the tenth overall selection. Cleveland may also select a guard to come in and compete with current starting RG Wyatt Teller. Also, the receiving corps behind starters Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry is largely unproven and the Browns would do well to throw another target into the mix behind them. The tight end position should be pretty well set after Cleveland spent big money on Austin Hooper to team with former first-round pick David Njoku.
The Browns do not have very many defensive needs after adding a lot of talent to that unit last offseason. The biggest hole that they have is at safety, where neither of their starters from last season are on the roster. Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph were both brought in on one-year deals, making them only short-term answers in the lineup. Sendejo turns 33 in September and Joseph, despite only being 27, has had a mostly uneven career and injury concerns. Do not be surprised if the Browns add not only one but two safeties in what is a deep class at the position. Linebacker could also be addressed despite Cleveland using two draft picks on the position last year. one of those picks, Mack Wilson, is a talented linebacker that weirdly fell to the fifth round a year ago and the other, Sione Takitaki, was a third round selection who should at least fill a two-down role in the starting lineup. Cleveland would still be wise to add another linebacker to the squad since both Wilson and Takitaki are still largely unproven prospects. So here is where I decided to go with the Browns’ draft:
I actually had three of the top four offensive tackles available to me at pick ten, something I do not see happening in real-life. I just could not pass up the chance to study Mekhi Becton. This is such a fun prospect, and one I would be elated with if I was the GM of the Browns. Becton has made noise just for being an absolute unit of a human being. He famously ran a 5.11 second 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine after checking in at 6’7” and 364 lbs. Becton is about as physical as you would expect someone of his size to be, but what is most surprising is just how nimble his feet are. He is extremely fluid when he moves laterally to mirror pass rushers. His natural gifts are evident when he uses his length to stifle pass rushers and he has heavy hands that jolt rushers back with ease, although that should not be surprising. He’s heavy. His hands are heavy. His favorite rapper is Heavy D. Everything about the dude is heavy. It gets to the point where his hand placement and technique are not even perfect but his punch is so powerful that it does not even matter. Now just imagine him getting quality NFL coaching to improve that technique. The sky is truly the limit for Mekhi and if you want to see just how powerful he is and how well he finishes blocks, check out this rep against Clemson:
This is what I like to call the “Get The **** On The Ground, Stay The **** On The Ground” Block. I’m still working on the trademark.
Round 2, Pick 41: Antoine Winfield Jr., S, Minnesota
Play. Maker. That is what Antoine Winfield Jr. is. Whichever team does end up drafting him will have to move him around the defense and play him in a variety of roles to get the most out of their investment. He is excellent playing man coverage in the box or in the slot, even against tight ends that are much bigger than him. He plays with a lot of tenacity in run support, flying in and slipping blocks to make strong tackles. Winfield Jr. is not the biggest or most athletic safety by any means, but his instincts in zone coverage are top-notch and he just finds ways to create turnovers. Just check out this interception against Penn State, his second in this game:
Winfield Jr. is playing single-high in Cover-1. There are no seam threats coming from the weak side of the formation, so he leans to the strong side and identifies Penn State WR K.J. Hamler running a slot fade, takes a strong angle to the ball and shows good ball skills to pluck the pass out of the air for the turnover. Winfield Jr. is best utilized in deep zones with half-field or middle-third responsibilities but using him as a versatile chess piece will allow him to showcase his playmaking skills at all levels of the defense.
Round 3, Pick 74: Akeem Davis-Gaither, LB, Appalachian State
Davis-Gaither has a pretty decent following out there on #DraftTwitter but I was not all that impressed by his tape. I understand that teams will always be willing to take a chance on athletic linebackers just to see if they can make starters out of them. I am not so sure I see Davis-Gaither becoming a starter, however, I do think he will at the very least make for a strong role player in the NFL. Mack Wilson is probably the only linebacker the Browns have that they can trust to play all three downs and Davis-Gaither’s range and coverage ability will come in handy in sub packages. While he is certainly a fluid athlete, I wish I saw better coverage chops. There were not very many examples of him playing man coverage and while his zone drops are excellent, there were too many instances of him “covering air” aka sitting in your zone and covering no one. Davis-Gaither can also be helpful in sub packages as a blitzer, showing nice rush ability off the edge. He is also a very strong tackler and is extremely slippery to get around blockers. This rep against South Carolina is a good example:
There are many examples like this one where Davis-Gaither is able to dip under and around blockers. He does struggle to shed blocks if guys take him head on and he is unable to reduce his surface area to get around the block. His lack of size, hit-or-miss block shedding and underdeveloped coverage skills make him a raw player, but his athleticism will give him a role on gamedays and it could help him develop into a starter with time.
Round 3, Pick 97: Brandon Jones, S, Texas
Here is where we give Antoine Winfield Jr. a running mate. I talked about moving Winfield Jr. around in order to get the most out of him, so adding another versatile safety is a must. Brandon Jones is a box safety who excels in man coverage and can also play free safety on occasion. These two together have the potential to be one of the better young safety duos in the league.
Round 4, Pick 115: Gabriel Davis, WR, UCF
Davis is a big, fast vertical receiver who can compete for the number three receiver spot. Davis and Odell Beckham Jr.'s speed on the outside with Jarvis Landry and Austin Hooper working the middle of the field could be an excellent group of targets for Baker Mayfield.
Round 6, Pick 187: Jonathan Garvin, EDGE, Miami
There are rumors that Olivier Vernon could be a cap casualty after this season so adding a good developmental pass rusher might not be a bad idea here on Day Three of the draft.
Round 7, Pick 244: Kevin Dotson, OG, Louisiana
Dotson seems to have a bit of a cult following from people that think he will outplay his draft slot. This is a worth-while flyer for the Browns as they try to add some competition for Wyatt Teller.
Upgrading both of the tackle spots and installing a new offensive system could very well give the Browns offense the jolt it needs after a disappointing 2019. Also, adding some stability to the safety position on top of getting further development out of young cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams could propel the Cleveland defense to new heights in 2020. And while no one will probably be calling the Browns kings of the offseason once again, they should certainly have a chip on their shoulder going into this year and without the added pressure they endured in 2019, this could finally be the year Cleveland gets the monkey off their back.
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