Veteran ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. updated his mock draft projections for 2020 on Tuesday. Kiper joined the near-unanimous crowd in projecting an offensive tackle to the need Cleveland Browns.
Kiper’s current choice of the top tackle prospects for the Browns is Mekhi Becton from Louisville. He’s the pick at No. 10 in the first round.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen Becton projected to the Browns. The athletic behemoth has gained quite a bit of momentum from the end of the season, when Becton was often slotted as a potential second-round pick. But Kiper has had Becton to the Browns in the first round in his earlier mock, too.
This one is easy: I’m sticking with my pick, because the Browns’ need at left tackle is so obvious. The 6-7, 370-pound Becton can be an immediate starter on Baker Mayfield’s blind side, and he’ll be a beast in the running game in front of Nick Chubb.
It’s odd to think of a 370-pounder being able to operate effectively in a zone blocking scheme like the Browns expect to run under new head coach Kevin Stefanski, but Becton has shown the ability to make it a possibility.