Browns mock draft roundup (4/9/22)

Cleveland is currently sitting out the first round, so who might they select in Round 2 of the 2022 NFL Draft?

It will be a potentially quiet night for the Cleveland Browns when the 2022 NFL Draft opens on April 28 in Las Vegas.

Thanks to the trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Browns are currently slated to enter this year’s draft without a first-round selection, but that does not mean that general manager Andrew Berry will clock out early that day.

Cleveland still has seven selections in this year’s draft, including three of the top 99 selections, so there is some potential for Berry to move back into the end of the first round if a player the team likes is sitting there.

If not, the Browns will three selections on Day 2, picking in the second round at No. 44 overall and in the third round at No. 78 and No. 99 overall.

With that in mind, let’s take a run through the various mock drafts to see just who the Browns might select — with one name standing out from the rest — if they stay with their current second-round pick.

Travis Jones, DT, UConn (Todd McShay at ESPN and Chad Reuter at NFL.com):

In his 2022 NFL Draft Guide, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has Jones, who is 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, as his third-ranked defensive tackle, writing that:

A three-year starter at UConn, Jones played three-technique and nose tackle in defensive coordinator Lou Spanos’ four-man front. Recruited primarily as an offensive guard out of high school, he reshaped his body and developed into an impactful defensive tackle since joining the Huskies, despite a 21-month layoff between the 2019 and 2021 seasons and the program posting a 4-32 record (three of those wins vs. FCS teams) over his four years in college. A big-bodied athlete with strong legs and arms, Jones is quick off the ball and powerful through his hips to be disruptive vs. both the pass and the run. He uses quickness and forceful hand moves to get his nose in the gap, but he needs to harness his momentum and consistently use his secondary moves to shoot through. Overall, Jones’ pass rush technique is still a work-in-progress, but he creates problems for interior blockers with his athletic movements and explosive upper body to stack, shed and toss. He projects as an early NFL starter with two-gap potential.

Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Perrion Winfrey, DT, Oklahoma (Vinnie Iyer at The Sporting News):

Brugler has Winfrey one spot after Jones in his rankings, writing that:

A two-year starter at Oklahoma, Winfrey lined up at nose guard in former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s 3-3-5 base scheme. It was tough to get an accurate read on him in the Sooners’ slanting front, however, his skills were unleashed at the Senior Bowl and allowed him to show scouts his flashes of dominance. Winfrey has an imposing frame and length that no blocker wants to deal with, playing with the shock in his hands to jar blockers or toss bodies from his path. His tendency to play tall and inability to break down and be flexible leads to missed plays in the backfield. Overall, Winfrey needs to improve his pad level and play discipline, but his size, energy and the power in his hands help him to terrorize blockers. He has NFL starting-level traits.

Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images

Nik Bonitto, DE, Oklahoma (Anthony Treash at Pro Football Focus):

Brugler has Bonitto at No. 11 in his rankings of defensive ends, writing that:

A three-year starter at Oklahoma, Bonitto played the stand-up “Rush” linebacker position in former defensive coordinator Alex Grinch’s 3-3-5 base scheme. Despite never leading the Sooners in sacks, he consistently finished among the FBS leaders in pressures, and his 28.9 percent pass rush win rate was No. 1 in 2021, according to PFF. Bonitto is an active athlete and shows a natural feel for shaking blockers thanks to his agility and instincts to attack the pocket from different angles. However, he can be engulfed by size on the edge and must weaponize his hands to consistently defeat NFL blockers. Overall, Bonitto is a hybrid player and must develop his play strength to find a full-time role, but he affects the quarterback and uses his quick feet and fluid body movement to keep blockers from centering him up. He projects best as a stand-up linebacker in a 3-4 scheme.

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Jahan Dotson, WR, Penn State (Eddie Brown at The San Diego Union-Tribune):

Dotson comes in at No. 6 in Brugler’s rankings, with Brugler writing that:

A three-year starter at Penn State, Dotson lined up across the formation in offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich’s offense. He became the fourth player in school history to reach 1,000 receiving yards in a season and finished his career second in school history in catches (183) and touchdown grabs (25) and fourth in receiving yards (2,757). A polished pass catcher, Dotson puts defenders in conflict with his twitchy speed to defeat press and manipulate coverages at the stem. Although he is undersized, he has above-average hands and natural body control with maybe the largest catch radius of any sub-5-foot-11 receiver I have ever scouted. Overall, Dotson isn’t a tackle-breaker, and his marginal play strength will be more noticeable vs. NFL defenders, but his dynamic speed, route instincts and ball skills make him a difficult player to cover one-on-one. He is an NFL starter in the Diontae Johnson mold with better hands and punt-return skills.

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George Pickens, WR, Georgia (Zac Jackson at The Athletic):

Pickens comes in at No. 8, with Brugler writing that:

A two-year starter at Georgia, Pickens was the X receiver in offensive coordinator Todd Monken’s balanced scheme. Shortly after he enrolled, Bulldogs’ coaches said he was the most talented receiver on the roster, and he didn’t disappoint (led the team in receiving in 2019 with several freshman receiving records), but his past two seasons were marred by injuries, most notably his 2021 ACL tear. Pickens is a balanced athlete, with fluidity at the stem and the wheels to win vertically, skillfully tracking the deep ball. While his competitiveness is a plus, he lacks discipline in several areas of the position and lost a year of on-field development because of his injury. Overall, Pickens has a discount sticker on him after missing most of the 2021 season, but he is a graceful athlete with outstanding ball-tracking and 50-50 finishing skills. He has WR1 traits and potential if he returns to pre-injury form and continues to refine his routes.

Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images

Drake Jackson, DE, USC (C.J. Doon at The Baltimore Sun)

Brugler has Jackson ranked at No. 10 among defensive ends, writing that:

A three-year starter at USC, Jackson played the stand-up “B Backer” edge rush position in former defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s hybrid 4-2-5 scheme. His most productive season came as a freshman at 275 pounds, but he shed 35 pounds during quarantine prior to the 2020 season, losing bad weight and transitioning to an outside linebacker role at 240 pounds in the new scheme (weighed 254 at the Combine). Although his initial step can be better, Jackson rushes with outstanding flexibility, length, and arc acceleration along with the instincts to capture the corner or fire back inside. He had average production for a player with his athletic tools, but he tends to be speed-reliant and needs to add more ammo and urgency into his hands. Overall, Jackson is a twitched-up speed rusher with the upside to be disruptive in the NFL if he can develop his play strength and hand/power moves without sacrificing athleticism. He has the upside of an impactful NFL starter but has work to do if he wants to reach that level.

Cleveland currently has the following seven selections in the draft:

• 2nd Round (No. 44 overall)
• 3rd Round (No. 78) overall
• 3rd Round (No. 99 overall)
• 4th Round (No. 118 overall)
• 6th Round (No. 202 overall)
• 7th Round (No. 223 overall)
• 7th Round (No. 246 overall)

The 2022 NFL Draft will take place from April 28 to April 30 in Las Vegas.