Cleveland Browns 2021 4-Round Mock Draft

The act of doing a mock draft right after the NFL Draft just occurred had been in an exercise in looking ahead, dreaming of getting through the muck of what was a difficult rebuilding process that only took one... two... thirteen seasons. With the Cleveland Browns taking shape, it's far more exciting to look at the present and what can be this season.

Nevertheless, as there are so many questions as to whether there will be a college football season of any kind for 2020, there's a ton of good reasons to be hopeful that one happens, because there is an incredible amount of talent at the collegiate level. And although projecting needs a year ahead can be difficult, especially when the Browns have fewer holes than years past, they have provided some intriguing bread crumbs about the positions that they'd like to be able to address next year combined with what could be some impressive strengths in the 2021 draft class.

Offensively, the Browns are largely intact for the next few years if they want to be. In picking up the fifth-year option for David Njoku, the entire offensive line, both of their top tight ends, quarterback and their receivers are all under contract through 2021. Nick Chubb will be on the final year of his rookie contract and Kareem Hunt will likely be gone. This does not mean that they won't consider offense save for running back, but the way this team has been built allows them to have a considerable amount of continuity on that side of the ball.

Right guard has to prove itself this year, be it Wyatt Teller or Drew Forbes. The Browns could theoretically move on from one of Odell Beckham or Jarvis Landry. Overall, that side of the ball is intact into 2021.

Defensively is where things get more interesting. Olivier Vernon is on the last year of his deal and whether it's through the draft, trade or free agency, they are going to have to make a substantial move to address that spot after this coming season. And along with Adrian Clayborn who is under contract through 2021, they might want to add two.

The linebacker position is unlikely to change in terms of their approach. Cheap free agents and mid to late round draft picks really only intended to be one-year contracts. It's not a critical piece to their defense. Of course they want it to be a contributor and effective, but it's not where their assets are likely to go short of a finishing piece.

The secondary has some interesting questions. At corner, Kevin Johnson and Terrance Mitchell are scheduled to be free agents after this year. Denzel Ward and Greedy Williams are under contract for a couple more years, but it's a position where teams simply have too many.

And then safety is a little bit of a wildcard. Grant Delpit was drafted with the intent of being a foundational piece back there. Andrew Sendejo and Karl Joseph are on one-year deals with Sendejo unlikely to return after this season. Joseph could. They also still have Sheldrick Redwine as a role player and depth.

The Browns might be really interested in having a group of three or even four safeties that can contribute depending on matchups and how they want to dictate to offenses what they can do. And in the AFC North, the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers both have big investments in tight ends so it's another consideration. They can also play a role in dealing with mobile quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow.