by In 2018, Cleveland turned the NFL upside down and proved that they finally got their quarterback. Baker Mayfield was the right pick and it feels so good to know that. Maybe for the first time I can recall the Browns do not have to worry about drafting a QB. Sitting at the 17th pick they can now use that pick to fill out other needs.
They just traded RG Kevin Zeitler for DE Olivier Vernon which will assuredly beef up that defensive line. In my opinion the biggest needs for the Browns are corner, wide receiver, and linebacker in no particular order. Let’s start with corner.
Now that Garrett and Vernon are going to be in the trenches taking over the game it will be up to the opposing team to try and get the ball out quick. Drafting Denzel Ward with the number four pick last year has looked like a success with one caveat. He has had tackling issues if you want to call them that and in that he has had concussion problems.
On the contrary, when Ward is on the field, he is a legit number one corner. If I was GM depending who is there obviously, I would take the highest available corner to line up on the opposite of Ward. I really like Byron Murphy out of Washington. He has great instincts and toughness. He also excels at short yard coverage.
When it comes to linebackers, I am hoping the Browns just sign C.J. Mosley, but if they do not go that route my dream is for the Browns to draft Devin White or Devin Bush. These are the cream of the cop when it comes to linebackers in this draft and either one of them would look good alongside Christian Kirksey.
This position the Browns lack the proper depth and just talent outside Kirksey and he was injured the second half of this past season.
Drafting either White or Bush would make me ecstatic, I value corner slightly more than linebacker in this draft, but if the Browns went this way I would be just as happy if they drafted Murphy.
My final draft need for the Browns would be wide receiver. At the time of writing this Perriman is a free agent and they tendered Higgins so the WR position could get thin. In this draft wide receiver’s could get drafted anywhere because there are a lot of them in this draft.
The stand out from the combine was D.K. Metcalf and he has touted to be the first WR taken in this draft. I doubt he is there at 17 some mocks I have seen have him going as high as 9 to Buffalo, but if he was it would be something else.
If they pass on going WR in the first round their next pick will not be until 49. In that instance I really like Marquise “Hollywood” Brown out of Oklahoma. Andy Isabella and Riley Ridley are two others I could see thriving in the Browns system.
There are obviously other needs, but these three positions are my biggest draft needs for the Browns. So, what do you think should the Browns try and get Metcalf at 17 or go defense? In my opinion the Browns will win the AFC North if they go defense with this pick. Let me know! Comment below or reach out to me on Twitter at either @Lipold_27 or @MfflP.
-Frankie Lipold
