Cleveland Browns Trade Up in 2021 NFL Draft
This seven round mock draft for the Cleveland Browns would be a dream scenario for GM Andrew Berry because of the value across the board. Early in the first round the draft board falls as expected and quarterbacks are coming off the board in the top-12 selections. This scenario is very likely to take place on April 29th in Cleveland on Thursday night. Ideally pushing defensive back talent down the board helps Andrew Berry select one of the top four corners.
In this mock draft, Northwestern’s Greg Newsome and Virginia Tech’s Caleb Farley were drafted in back-to-back picks by the Arizona Cardinals (#16) and the Las Vegas Raiders (#17). The best option to grab arguably the best man coverage corner in South Carolina’s Jaycee Horn was to trade up. Moving ahead of the cornerback needy New York Jets poises a necessary requirement to avoid missing out on a top boundary corner.
Trade Alert: Browns trade Pick No. 26 and Pick No. 91 & Titans move down from Pick No. 22
Round 1, Selection #22:
Jaycee Horn
CB, South Carolina
6’1” 205 lbs
33” Arms
Jaycee Horn is the son of former Saints wide receiver Joe Horn. Jaycee is a long and rangy athlete that is physical on the boundary. He is aggressive at the catch point and making receivers work to get off the line of scrimmage. He is best suited for press man or zone coverage schemes.
This pick would be great DC Joe Woods as it gives him a big physical corner to matchup against taller wide receivers. Jaycee Horn’s aggressive playstyle and physical traits could provide Woods with a player comparable to Aqib Talib. Talib played for the Denver Broncos when Woods was the defensive backs coach. The familiarity of how to best utilize and coach up Jaycee Horn would give the Browns defense a great weapon on the outside of the secondary.
Round 2, Selection #59:
Payton Turner
EDGE, Houston
6’ 5” 270 lbs
35” Arms; 10 ¼” Hands
Payton Turner is a big powerful end and has great length for the position. He has very long arms and big hands, his measurements would have been top-5 measurables compared to the 2020 EDGE class. He is strong in run game and developing pass rush skillset. Being an ideal 4-3 end with odd front versatility, Turner provides long-term insurance on the defensive line.
If Andrew Berry decides to sign Jadeveon Clowney or Takk McKinley to longer deals then Turner would be in the reigns for DE2. Proving to be a long term running mate with Myles Garrett would be great value for the Browns defensive line.
Round 3, Selection #89:
Jamar Johnson
Safety, Indiana
6’ 205 lbs
30 1/8” Arms
Jamar Johnson is a talented player on the backend for a position that lacks quality depth on the Browns roster. DC Joe Woods intends to utilize five defensive backs and ideally Big Nickel with three safeties on the field. Drafting Johnson would provide depth on the backend if injuries occurred to John Johnson, Ronnie Harrison or Grant Delpit.
Jamar Johnson is a versatile safety that has good ball skills. Last season Johnson intercepted four passes and had 4 pass deflections for the Hoosiers. He also had three sacks in 2019 offering the ability to blitz from the slot, something Woods showcased last season. Johnson versatility comes from a playing deep safety last season and playing the slot in 2019. This is the exact mold of a player needed to best employ a 4-2-5 defense.
Trade Alert: Browns trade Pick No. 110 and Sixth (2023) & Eagles send Pick No. 123 and Fourth (2022)
Trading back is an anticipated draft strategy for Andrew Berry as the Browns currently have two picks very close together. Moving down in the third round would net the Browns a pick next year while still finding value talent for 2021.
Round 3, Selection #123:
Milton Williams
DT, Louisiana Tech
6’3” 284 lbs
31 ½” Arms
Milton Williams is an undersized defensive tackle prospect that may be labeled as a tweener. Williams has powerful hands off the ball and uses good leverage to wiggle past blocks. He’s currently better in the run game and has traits to develop as a pass rusher. His twitchy, shot area quickness helps him when on the interior and could grow into a role similar to new DT Malik Jackson. Jackson played on the interior and as an end for the Philadelphia Eagles and can mentor Williams as he plays a rotation role his rookie year.
Round 4, Selection #132:
Jamin Davis
LB, Kentucky
6’ 3½” 234 lbs
33” Arms
This is the hot take and surprise of this mock draft. Jamin Davis has been screaming up draft boards and has even been mocked in the first round by some NFL analysts. Davis is a physical specimen who is very athletic and long. He can defend run making tackles in open space and blitz the quarterback inside or off the edge. He showed the ability to drop back in coverage but it is a small sample size.
Limited tape on Davis is the biggest question regarding his draft stock. He only has one year as a starter which was in 2020 and that may peg him lower on some draft boards. It is unlikely he falls this far come draft night but we’ve seen players slide further than expected every year. In the scenario are pardoned a gift from the draft gods!
Round 5, Selection #169:
Simi Fehoko
WR, Stanford
6’ 4” 222 lbs
31 5/8” Arms; 10 ¼” Hands
Fehoko is a huge target outside the numbers that Browns receiver core could use. Namely what the Browns wide receiver group desperately needs is more speed. Fehoko offers a great blend of height, weight and speed as day three option. He has strong hands on jump balls and is deep vertical threat against defenses. Given the talent on the roster he wouldn’t be forced to play a ton of reps this year but would grow and step in as contributor next year where there are certainly more questions.
Round 6, Selection #211:
Darrick Forrest
Safety, Cincinnati
5’ 11 ½” 206 lbs
31 7/8” Arms
Forrest is a local kid from Columbus, Ohio that played just further south and could find his way back north in Cleveland. Forrest offers value with good traits as a box safety. He come downhill and aggressive offering solid run support. Also, he could find playing time early finding a role and playing on special teams.
Check out Darrick Forrest interview with SI’s Brandon Little!
Round 7, Selection #257:
Pro Wells
TE, TCU
6’ 3” 249 lbs
33” Arms
Wells is a late round flyer at tight end and it’s very possible Andrew Berry takes a swing at tight end on day three of the draft. Wells is a former basketball player that could be a potential red zone threat. He is a good contested pass catcher that uses his body well. He does most of his damage in the seam and even caught screens at Texas Christian. Wells is not much of a blocker and needs to develop there. He doesn’t have a lot of production in college but this a low-risk move based on physical traits.
This mock draft may involve players that fall far but covers all the Browns areas of need and bring in quality depth for 2021. Lastly, drafting players that will contribute next year will be important in having a successful offseason.
