2020 7-Round Mock Draft, Vol. 4
The Cleveland Browns have a coaching staff and a general manager, plus the All-Star games have concluded so while there's a small holding pattern until the NFL Scouting Combine, it seemed like a good opportunity to take another snapshot of what the Browns might do in the upcoming NFL Draft.
The combine and various pro days will provide critical data, both in athletic testing and medical data for teams. This is particularly important for the offensive line as with no real way to measure production, it's the only other data point to really compare against the tape to get a real sense of what they can do going to the next level.
For everyone else, the production and tape are available, so the data from athletic testing is the last piece of the puzzle needed before the board can start getting put together in preparation for April.
For this mock draft, I used Matt Miller's board on Fanspeak and the Draft Network to ensure that each player was available at each pick on both boards. Any complaints about a player being available at a particular slot can be referred to them.
Round 1: Tristan Wirfs, OT Iowa
Measurables: 6'5" 322 (Listed)
Age: 21 (Born January 24, 1999)
Tristan Wirfs physically looks like a guard, but at least has the listed height to be a good tackle as well as tremendous feet. He is an easy mover that is able to get spots to run block, get to his pass set and put him in position to block any opponent he has faced.
He shows great power at the point of attack when he gets locked onto an opponent, able to drive them off the ball. Particularly when he blocks down, he can crumple defensive linemen and collapse the defensive line as a whole.
Wirfs is young and potentially still growing into his body, having just turned 21 in January. He shows outstanding physical skills for the position and has a good amount of upside. As a pass protector, when he gets hands on, he wins. Occasionally, he will open the door to give an inside rushing lane, but opponents have an incredibly difficult time getting around him. Wirfs tends to have a good anchor but can end up giving ground if he plays high.
As a run blocker, Wirfs can end up playing too fast for his own good, unable to secure the block or falling off too early. There are also some examples when he gets too far forward and ends up losing his balance.
Wirfs played right tackle for Iowa, but can play left tackle in the NFL. The athletic testing remains to be seen, but on the field, Wirfs is ideal for what the Browns plans to do in their wide zone scheme with Kevin Stefanski as their head coach. Wirfs earned a bachelor's degree in zone blocking at Iowa learning from Kirk Ferentz and could go for his Master's with Browns offensive line coach, Bill Callahan.
Round 2: Zack Baun, EDGE Wisconsin
Measurables: 6'2 1/2" 240 (Senior Bowl)
Production: 53 solo tackles (11.3 percent) 19.5 tackles for loss (21.1 percent), 12.5 sacks (24.5 percent) in 2019.
With Joe Woods now the defensive coordinator, players like Zack Baun could become real considerations. That defensive scheme likes to be able to use a LEO that can provide a pass rush with speed and chase effectively, providing some options. Baun is an edge rusher and a SAM backer in one.
Similar to when Joe Schobert played at Wisconsin, Baun does a little bit of everything and demonstrates tremendous intelligence on the field. First and foremost, Baun is an edge rusher who has the responsibility that comes with being an edge defender. He's quick off the snap and keeps opponents honest with a viable threat to attack inside or outside with any number of examples where he blows up a play slanting inside. Running the arc, Baun also has the flexibility and balance to utilize an effective dip move, able to bend around to get the quarterback. He will flash a decent spin move as well.
Meanwhile, Baun is terrific when it comes to getting to his drops quickly and patrolling a zone or chasing a play to the other side of the field. That enabled Wisconsin to show a pass rush from Baun only to drop out and have a blitz come from another linebacker to generate pressure, which could be valuable in the NFL in terms of disguising blitzes.
It will be interesting to see how Baun tests, but he is quick off the ball and he plays fast in part because he takes excellent angles when attacking the line of scrimmage. He's slightly undersized and his functional strength could stand to improve when it comes to taking on and shedding blocks. His length isn't great and he is relatively narrow in terms of his build, but he takes advantage of it in terms of getting skinny to slip blocks.
With Olivier Vernon the returning starter as the left end, Baun can play SAM in base, giving them an intriguing blitz option that can play the run and offer a reasonable amount of strength at the point of attack. In nickel, the Browns could slide Myles Garrett inside, move Baun to an edge player and have an athletic front to attack the quarterback. When Vernon leaves after this season, presumably, Baun steps in as a true LEO not unlike Von Miller did in this scheme when both Woods and Wade Phillips ran it with the Denver Broncos.
Baun can line up on the edge and drop, allowing someone like Schobert, assuming he's re-signed, to blitz from a different angle to try to confuse the quarterback and either cause a sack or force a poor decision.
Round 3: Matthew Peart, OT Connecticut
Measurables: 6'6 1/2" 310 (Senior Bowl)
There is a lot to like about Matt Peart and his potential to be a tremendous right tackle. He's got prototypical length, he's light on his feet with range and quickness. For a zone heavy scheme, he could be a perfect match.
There are two problems with Peart's game that stands out; one that should be pretty easy to fix with practice and one that could potentially be a fatal flaw. The first problem which can be and needs to be fixed immediately is his stance.
Outside of some occasions when he is stepping hard one way or the other, usually to the outside, he gets virtually no benefit out of it. Peart doesn't generate any power stepping and it is often a wasted step that puts him behind the play.
This was obvious on tape, but the pass protection drills at the Senior Bowl really showcased how problematic it was. There, he was beaten routinely and it's not because he's unable to block the players he was facing, but because he was at a disadvantage before the play even started, so he was trying to catch up in a drill that already favors the defense. Not only is he limiting how far he can step out of his stance, but he's not generating power.
The other issue that Peart has to address and could really limit him is his flexibility. Peart constantly plays taller than he should and even when he's engaged in a block, he tends to be so upright that he's working harder than he should have to in order to sustain.
Peart rarely is able to take advantage of his lower body strength, because he doesn't engage his hips effectively to unlock it. And there are times when he does it, hits the block and then immediately ends up tall trying to finish the block. As a result, Peart's functional strength can appear underwhelming and yes, he can stand to continue adding lower body strength, but overall, if he can just consistently play lower and engage his hips more effectively, he'd take advantage of the strength he has and be more impactful.
For the zone scheme the Browns play, Peart is more than athletic enough to reach or get into position to shield off opponents from the play effectively. If he can develop a better anchor, he's capable of pass protecting at a high level and when he engages, he works hard to sustain blocks. Hopefully, these issues he has are things he's working to correct in the pre-draft process before a team gets a hold of him, but if he can get them worked out, there's tremendous ability in Peart to be a longterm answer as a tackle in the NFL.
Round 3 (Trade with HOU): Adam Trautman, TE Dayton
Measurables: 6'5" 251 (Senior Bowl)
Production: 70 receptions for 916 yards (33.7 percent), 14 touchdowns in 2019.
Trautman was a man amongst boys at the level he was playing, clearly bigger and stronger than the opponents he was up against. He was the main threat on the Flyers offense and showed the ability to take over the game as a receiver as well as a blocker.
At his best, Trautman plays from a three-point stance, firing off the ball into a block or releasing down the field. He also does a really nice job jolting a defender on an initial release to sell block, before transitioning into a route. His blocking isn't always technically ideal, particularly in terms of his pad level, but there's never a question about his effort. Trautman is an effective positional blocker, working to get his body between the opponent and the ball carrier. He's also impressive when he down blocks, able to create a massive seal for the ball carrier.
Trautman is utilized inline, as a wing, an H-back, out in space and then occasionally lined up wide on the boundary. Some of this is entirely a matter of using him to pull multiple defenders out of the box as Trautman is rarely not dealing with two defenders and occasionally will have three on him. He is a good target to fade up in situations when the opponent does single cover him, but that's not terribly realistic in the NFL.
Inline is where his potential is its highest, but he can move around and operate from the slot as a blocker or receiving threat. His release off the line is pretty good and he does a nice job working through contact as a route runner, but his cuts can stand to improve to create separation. His hands are solid and he occasionally makes some spectacular plays.
With the ball in his hands, Trautman can stick his foot in the ground and make an opponent miss, but he likes to take advantage of his size and run through defenders. The biggest question for Trautman will be his ability to a adjust to the size and speed in the NFL and he certainly looked the part at the Senior Bowl, but it wouldn't be a surprise for there to be a bit of a learning curve.
His athletic testing will be key, but he looks like he can be a high end second tight end or a mid to lower tier starter. Kevin Stefansi's offense in Minnesota utilized two tight end sets more than any team in the league and if he hopes to continue that trend in Cleveland, Trautman could be a great pick to give them a nice mix of blocking and receiving to improve the overall quality of his tight end room.
Round 4: Tyler Johnson, WR Minnesota
Measurables: 6'2" 205 (Listed)
Age: 21 (Born August 25, 1998)
Production: 86 receptions for 1,318 yards (40 percent), 13 touchdowns in 2019. 78 receptions for 1,169 yards (43 percent), 12 touchdowns in 2018. 35 receptions for 677 yards (44.3 percent), 7 touchdowns in 10 games in 2017.
Everything about Tyler Johnson is going to depend on how he tests athletically and medically, because he has three years of otherworldly production for the Gophers. In four years, he's played 49 out of 51 games, missing two his sophomore year.
It's not clear why Johnson seems to be so overlooked. He didn't receive an invite to the Senior Bowl, instead getting invited to the Shrine Game. It seems like it's based on expected poor testing results, particularly when it comes to speed.
On tape, Johnson doesn't look like a burner, but he doesn't look slow either. He's been able to stretch the field for deep balls as well as being able to make big plays with the ball in his hands. Johnson isn't physically outstanding, but he doesn't need to be. He basically just has to test well enough where it doesn't raise red flags. If he tests well, he looks similar to Keenan Allen. If not, he looks more like Rashard Higgins.
The one area where Johnson doesn't offer much is blocking. He gets in the way and he's a little more than a speed bump, but not a whole lot more. Johnson's blocking is akin to the poor gladiator in the Roman coliseum trying to trip up his opponent with a net. It theoretically can be a real problem, but more often than not, it's more of an annoyance and slight delay.
Johnson's feel for the position as a route runner and understanding how to find space and create it is outstanding. He uses his body to box out defenders and positions his body to create yards after the catch, setting his feet, so he can make a move after he catches the ball, occasionally completely changing directions. His speed may not be flashy, but his awareness, vision and shiftiness with the ball in his hands have allowed him to pile up yardage after the catch. He shows excellent balance and body control.
Johnson knows how to sell routes, set up defenders and create separation. He can line up along the boundary or in the slot. He will have to answer the question about his viability as an NFL deep threat, but he's won at every level of the field in college against any level of competition. Johnson has recorded 13 100+ receiving games in the past two seasons, including 119 yards at Ohio State, 170 at Iowa and he finished his career with 204 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help the Gophers defeat Auburn in their bowl game.
Johnson's hands and catch radius are impressive when the ball is in his torso or higher. He occasionally has some trouble catching passes that are lower. He shows good concentration and strength going up and securing passes in traffic and is fearless when he goes to attack the football.
Johnson potentially being available this late is a testament to this receiver class, but he could play as long if not longer than any of the receivers picked ahead of him so long as athletic or medical testing doesn't reveal a fatal flaw.
Round 6: James Robinson, RB Illinois State
Measurables: 5'9" 222 (Shrine Game)
Age: 21 (Born August 9, 1998)
Production: 1,997 total yards (44.2 percent) in 2019, 1.917 yards on 364 carries for 5.26 yards per carry, 16 receptions for 80 yards, 18 total touchdowns.
Robinson went in to every game this past season knowing if he wasn't great, the Red Birds would lose. They managed to make it to the quarterfinal of the FCS playoffs before they were dispatched by the eventual national champion, North Dakota State.
Robinson was Illinois State's offense. Everyone in the country knew he was getting the ball and he still made it incredibly difficult for them to stop him. Playing a significant amount of double tight end sets with a fullback, Robinson showed vision, balance and the ability to make opponents miss as well as the speed to finish big runs.
That particular style of offense also fits what Kevin Stefanski appears to want to do with the Browns. He likes to utilize a fullback and used double tight ends more than any team in the league last year. Robinson is more than accustomed to dealing with stacked boxes and trying to make something out of nothing. Occasionally, that has had him bounce runs to the outside which may not work out in the NFL, but even against a defense like North Dakota State, he was able to get to the edge for explosive plays.
The Shrine Game may be the first game Robinson has been in without a stacked box and he had seven carries for 80 yards along with two receptions for another 56 along with a touchdown.
Robinson didn't have much of an opportunity to showcase an ability to catch passes at Illinois State. He caught 16 passes this past season while the leading receiver on the team caught 23. It's a similar deal with his blocking. He has done it and it's looked serviceable but it hasn't been particularly good. Some of that may be the fact he's tired from carrying the ball so much.
Testing will be important for Robinson to ensure he's a legit NFL athlete, but he fits the type of back that not only fits what the Browns seem to want for this offense, but also the type of back that the Mike Shanahan style offenses have found late in the draft and found success. The investment is small, so missing isn't a big deal, but it does give them another option in the event Kareem Hunt isn't available.
Round 7: Bravvion Roy, DT Baylor
Measurables: 6'1 1/8" 332 (Shrine Game)
Production: 32 solo tackles (5.7 percent), 12 tackles for loss (12.5 percent), 4.5 sacks (10.4 percent) in 2019.
The NFL isn't terribly high on Bravvion Roy after he was only invited to the Shrine Game, which was too feast or famine and then by not giving him an invite to the NFL scouting combine. Nevertheless, his production and the athleticism he shows on tape are worth a look, even if he's a project nose.
Roy played in a unique odd front at Baylor where he would play a standard 0-tech nose, but would also play as a standup. He needs to show he can be consistent when it comes to taking on double teams to stop the run.
What makes Roy so intriguing is the fact he's spry enough to immediately penetrate into the backfield and either take out the quarterback or short circuit a run before it starts. He' remarkably light on his feet, but that defense was so often facing passing teams that it made it easy to develop poor habits against the run or not really play the run. That includes not doing a good job of playing low and looking for the football.
As a developmental nose that has upside, so long as he can test as good as he looks at Baylor's pro day, he can be a player that they work to play behind Larry Ogunjobi at the nose and hopefully be able to take some of the obvious run situation workload off of his plate. There's potential there if he's willing to buy in and do what a team asks of him in terms of clogging up running lanes first and still being able to attack the quarterback after making a run read first.
Additional Thoughts
So much of the 2020 NFL Draft is going to be about establishing who the Cleveland Browns want to be under this coaching staff. The biggest focus is protecting Baker Mayfield as well as getting the tackles they need to be able to effectively deploy their wide zone running game. This class of offensive tackles is rare in terms of the talent it offers and the Browns are in the position to be able to effectively establish their line for the foreseeable future.
Zack Baun is a versatile weapon for a defense and Joe Woods can utilize him as a SAM backer as well as an edge rusher. After this season, he can step in to be the LEO opposite Myles Garrett. He can rush the passer and shows excellent production in that capacity, but his ability to drop and be effective enables the defense to use a lot of disguised calls to fool the offense and bring pressure from different angles in attempt to fool the quarterback. While the quarterback is trying to figure out where the pressure is coming from, Garrett and Sheldon Richardson are bearing down on him.
Adam Trautman and Tyler Johnson are a move into the offense Stefanski wants to utilize. Trautman isn't a finished product, but he looks to be the exact type of tight end that fits the offense he wants to utilize. Johnson is a tremendous receiver with versatility and though he's likely only one part of a plan moving forward, when the Browns have to come to terms with the reality of the salary cap having two receivers making so much money, Johnson has the ability to help transition out of that.
James Robinson is a talented running back that dominated the FCS and played in an offense that is similar to what the Browns plan to do. He's also the type of back that teams running the same system as Mike and now Kyle Shanahan have utilized have found success. If he doesn't work, the investment is small, but even if Kareem Hunt is productive with the Browns in 2020, it's impossible to rely on him beyond that and Robinson could fill the void.
Bravvion Roy is a big, athletic body that appears to have potential. There's a lot of work to be done with him and so much of it may be based on his willingness to buy in as part of the scheme, but he has attributes that could be beneficial as a rotational nose.
The Browns need safety help and notably no safeties were selected. While it's subject to change and there are certain safeties that are very talented, the overall class is underwhelming, particularly at free safety. It seems far more likely the Browns will attempt to attack that position in free agency and they could certainly draft safety help, the more significant move would likely happen in March.
Free agents like Juston Burris and Eric Murray may be more than fine to fill out the rest of the safety room better than what they will find in this class if they choose to re-sign them. The fact this mock draft doesn't address the position doesn't diminish how important it is, but is more of a commentary on what is a weaker position in this class, opting instead to attack positions of strength.
