Back In My Comfort Zone: Browns Mock Draft 1.0
I honestly didn't know how to act yesterday. I'd never been there before. I mean, as someone who has never witnessed my team in the NFL playoffs in my entire life, my thoughts going into the 2nd round against the defending Super Bowl champions was that I was happy to be there. But as soon as I saw we could win, I wanted to win. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to be happy or sad today.
Honestly, I'm glad it's over. Now I'm able to return to my comfort zone, something I've known very well since the Browns came back to Cleveland when I was 6 years old. The #1 topic of conversation at my dinner table for the past two decades. That's right folks, we're talking Mock Drafts.
And I've NEVER been more excited for an upcoming draft than this one. Sure, we've held the #1 pick here and there, almost always drafting in the Top 10. But we've never done it in Cleveland. Have you ever been to Cleveland in April? Perhaps the most beautiful weather that God's green earth has to offer. If Covid permits, this will be the greatest and most well-attended NFL Draft of all time.
So PFF has this incredible tool where you can take over a team and make selections when it's your turn on the clock. I'll be doing that for the Browns this morning. And going into the draft, my #1 goal is to get the best defensive player available. I know some people think we NEEEEED a linebacker at 26. Others say we NEEEEEED a shut down corner. Guys, we need an edge rusher and safety too. This team needs defense. I will not be surprised if I go defense for every single pick.
*And if I had the power to trade OBJ right now to get even more picks, I'd do so. Factor in that we have the 5th most cap space in the league, and there's not one team I'd rather be going forward.
And here, we gooooo.
Pick 1 (26):
Lawrence went 1st and Justin Fields went 2nd, FYI. But it looks like we've got ourselves a slider coming down the draft board. Cornerback Caleb Farley, the #13 rated overall prospect at PFF, is still on the board. Five other DBs have been selected, but none rated as highly as Farley. Farley sat our the entire 2020 season due to not wanting to risk his family's health with covid. He also sat out his first season at Virginia Tech, where he was slated to be a wide receiver, with a knee injury. The guy has only played corner for 2 seasons. And he hasn't played in a year. But this guy is going Top 10 in some mocks due to his freakish athleticism. Let's roll the dice. CALEB FARLEY, CB, VIRGINIA TECH
Pick 2 (58):
Easy. Best player available is a linebacker. But again, this will be picking a player who took an unconventional route. Chazz Surratt came to North Carolina to play quarterback. He actually started 7 games! But after being suspended 4 games for selling team sneakers, returning to go 4 for 10 with an interception and hurting his wrist, Surratt never took a snap behind center again. In his very first year at linebacker for Mack Brown, all he did was become a 1st Team All ACC player and the runner up for ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He became more polished this season, and I'm taking him in Round 2. CHAZZ SURRATT, LB, NORTH CAROLINA
Pick 3 (89):
I want an edge rusher. Oliver Vernon tore his achilles in Week 17 and also is on the final year of his deal. I'm disappointed we've made it this far and don't have an edge rusher, but I'm happy with our draft. Who do we like here? Quincy Roche from Miami is available, but it seems like a reach. Stick to our values. We've got lots of holes on defense. Let's see who the best players available are. Paris Ford, a Safety from Pitt, is the best available, but all of the analysts are saying he has potential but is inconsistent with tackling. Uhhhh, I'd rather my Safetys be consistent with tackling. Pass.
*FYI - Shaun Wade just went off the board. Good luck.
I don't care that we just went linebacker. I'm going back to the well. Let's make sure we hit on one, because that's a huge hole right now. DYLAN MOSES, LB, ALABAMA
Pick 4 (107):
Oh nice, best player available is a linebacker from Michigan. Pass. And Quincy Roche, who we talked about last round, justtttt went off the board the pick before. Damn.
But we need an edge rusher here. Best available is Patrick Johnson from Tulane. 6'3 255 pounds, and "a motor that is always cranked". He's an impact speed rusher that had 7 sacks and forced 2 fumbles this season in the AAC. Ronnie Perkins from Oklahoma is still on the board as well, but I think I'm going Johnson over him here to pair on the other side of Myles Garrett. PATRICK JOHNSON, ED, TULANE
Pick 5 (127):
Here's the thing: we've done defense in each of the first 4 picks, and I do think we need to get a receiver out of this draft. I really think we've got to move OBJ elsewhere, if anyone will take him. We're just fine without him, and he costs a lot of money to make our offense worry about getting him the ball when we look better without forcing it to him. Goodbye OBJ. Let's bring in CORNELL POWELL, WR, CLEMSON
Pick 6 (206):
Man that was a long break. Three picks remaining and I still want a Safety. Are we sure Grant Delpit is good to go? Tough to come back from an injury like that as a defensive back. But guys, there's no one in the next 30 that are Safeties. And like I said, we're drafting from the best players available in this draft, not stretching for need. This is why I should be an NFL GM. I'm going corner again with ROBERT ROCHELL, CB, CENTRAL ARKANSAS
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Pick 7 (231):
There's a safety that I want here that I think we can get again in 21 picks at 252. Do we risk it? NO. We take our guy right now. Give me the safety we want. We go down to the best conference in the NFL to get him. A game-impacting SEC safety in the 7th round? STEAL! YUSUF CORKER, S, KENTUCKY (Okay, so it's Kentucky. I'll take back the SEC talk)
Pick 8 (252):
Toughest thing I'll ever do is pass on Master Teague from Ohio State here. But this is separation of Saturdays and Sundays. This is Browns football. We don't need the RB. I do want to toss another Safety into the mix though and see what comes out. I'm hoping from Grant Delpit, Corker, and now this LSU Safety we can find someone to play the position at a high level. JaCOBY STEVENS, S, LSU
Let's see what PFF graded me out at.......
Not bad. I'll take nailing the 1st pick. Not sure what else they wanted to see here. Are they mad that I doubled up on a couple position groups. Listen boys, if you take 2, you only need 1 to pan out. I'm fine with it. I'll give myself an A, but I'll take their B as constructive criticsim. We've got 3 months to make it perfect.