Weekly Mock Draft: Defense early, offense later

Browns beef up the middle of the defense in this mock draft

This week we decided to hold off on our weekly Cleveland Browns mock draft once the team moved on from Mike Priefer and went through the process to hire Bubba Ventrone. We hope all of you were waiting anxiously for this mock.

Don’t fret, we are here for you.

With the NFL combine next week (I will be covering it in person), a lot will change with evaluations for players. While measurements there shouldn’t change any evaluations, it will either confirm what the tape says or send evaluators back to tape. If a player looked fast on tape but ran slow, which is true? If a player looked small on tape but measures out well, what does that mean for the evaluation?

For now, we can just go off of what we know which includes not knowing what happens in free agency. Nonetheless, it is time for the weekly mock. This week, we used the NFL Mock Draft Database Simulator. The site does a great job of bringing a lot of draft information together as well as their simulator.

Second Round

DL Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh – Kancey is a gap-shooting, penetrating defensive tackle. He will disrupt offenses with his speed and explosion. His size will likely drop him into the second round as he is not the strongest run defender. Don’t worry, we will address that in different ways in this mock. Kancey can be a game-changer next to Myles Garrett and with some size and strength around him.

Third Round

DE Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern – DNB interviewed Adebawore at the Senior Bowl where he showed off all his skills. With Cleveland, Adebawore gives the team another strong and athletic edge rusher. If he blows up as many expect at the NFL combine, he isn’t falling to the third round.

Fourth Round

S Jordan Battle, Alabama – A perfect addition whether John Johnson III remains or not. Battle is a leader and a versatile player for Jim Schwartz’s defense. He can play some nickel corner but is best as a versatile safety and will contribute on special teams right away.

RB Kenny McIntosh, Georgia – At this point, McIntosh can be officially labeled as my midround crush. His ability as a pass catcher out of the backfield is a perfect compliment to Nick Chubb and Jerome Ford.

Fifth Round

LB Ivan Pace Jr., Cincinnati – Another midround draft cush, Pace is another leader who can contribute right away on special teams or on the defense depending on what the Browns do with their free agents.

WR Ronnie Bell, Michigan – While Ohio State fans won’t like this, a burner with special teams ability, Bell might be exactly what the team needs to complement what they already have on offense.

Sixth Round

CB Kei’Trel Clark, Lousiville – It seems that GM Andrew Berry will draft a cornerback as often as possible or add a highly rated undrafted corner. Clark gives Schwartz a player who showed he can play in the slot and is a willing tackler.

Seventh Round

DL Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State – Adding the strength and size needed on the defensive line. The Sun Devil might not provide much as a pass rusher but he’ll make Garrett, Kancey, Adebawore, Alex Wright, Isaiah Thomas and Perrion Winfrey better just based on his size and strength.

Follow the link to the simulator and share your Browns Mock Draft in our comment section.