Time for a fresh new 7-round Cleveland Browns mock draft for the holiday morning. With just 11 days remaining until the 2020 NFL Draft, it’s time to enjoy some sweet mocking.
For this Easter mock, I decided to color the eggs a little and make a trade in the first round. The Browns found a partner willing to move up in the Miami Dolphins, who snagged QB Justin Herbert at the No. 5 pick. With versatile Clemson defender Isaiah Simmons still on the board, the Dolphins pounce.
The trade details:
Cleveland trades No. 10 and No. 74 overall to Miami in exchange for No. 18 and No. 26 in 2020. The Dolphins take Simmons with the 10th pick. Andrew Berry and the Browns now have two first-rounders.
First round, No. 18
The Browns still need an offensive tackle but traded out of the range of the top tier. Mekhi Becton, Tristan Wirfs and Jedrick Wills are all gone. Andrew Thomas came off the board at No. 14.
That leaves two viable choices to play left tackle: Josh Jones from Houston and Austin Jackson from USC. Or they could really roll the dice and go after Boise State’s Ezra Cleveland. But there is another path to follow.
Safety.
The pick: Xavier McKinney, S, Alabama
With veterans Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo both short-term solutions (Joseph is on a one-year contract, Sendejo is 32), the Browns still strongly need a long-term fix. They get their man in Alabama’s Xavier McKinney.
McKinney can step right into the Browns lineup with the ability to play free safety and make plays on the ball. The tackling productivity and coverage skills are top-notch. My guess here is the Browns would rank McKinney higher than any tackle on the board and get defensive coordinator Joe Woods his new Anthony Harris on the back end of the formation.
First round, No. 26
The pick: Ezra Cleveland, OT, Boise State
Cleveland is a pass-blocking specialist of a left tackle, and a very effective one. He’s got the movement skills and length to play on Baker Mayfield’s blindside right away. Cleveland needs to get much stronger to ever be effective in the run game and will need early help with power off the edge, but the primary job function is to keep Mayfield happy and safe. Cleveland can do that.
[lawrence-related id=43713]
Second round: K.J. Hamler, WR, Penn State
Hamler has electrifying speed and big-play potential from the slot but also working on the outside. Think Desean Jackson and how the Eagles used him in his prime. His presence would ease the coverage pressure on Odell Beckham and Jarvis Landry in 3-WR sets and give the Browns offense a true home-run hitter for Mayfield. Halmer is also a lethal prospect as a return man, a bigger need for the Browns than is generally advertised.
Third round: Malik Harrison, LB, Ohio State
Remember, the Browns traded away the earlier of their two third-rounders in the deal with the Dolphins. That leaves just the No. 97 pick, acquired from Houston for Duke Johnson.
They use the pick on a player who the Texans themselves would probably like to have in Harrison. A savvy, versatile backer with length and tackling power, he shores up the middle-of-field defense and offers some potential to emerge as a better pro than collegian.
Fourth round: Reggie Robinson, CB, Tulsa
Robinson brings some needed bulk to the Browns cornerback room. At 6-1 and a solid 205 pounds, Robinson has size and he knows how to use it in press coverage. His ball skills and route awareness improved in 2019, though nobody will ever confuse him for a lockdown outside CB. Robinson must learn to not clutch and grab when a receiver gets a step on him. As a bonus, Robinson blocked at least one punt in all four years for the Golden Hurricane. Ascending talent who tested quite well at the combine.
Fifth round: None
Still no pick here, traded to Buffalo
Sixth round: James Morgan, QB, Florida International
Morgan is a wild card in more ways than one. His game film is all over the map. There are times when he will zip anticipatory throws into small windows with expert placement and strong velocity. There are times when he will stare down a linebacker dropping in coverage and still throw the ball right to him.
As a developmental QB, he’s a good investment. Like Mayfield, Morgan plays with confidence and the right kind of derring-do. I am a believer the Berry regime will actively seek out late-round QB talent yearly, and having a QB guru like Kevin Stefanski as the coach could make it pay off.
Seventh round: Justin Herron, OT, Wake Forest
Herron fits the bill of a zone-blocking left tackle with good length and better athleticism than power on the edge. He’s a seasoned, functional swing tackle prospect with some ability to grow into more with increased lower-body strength.