With five selections in the first three rounds of the 2017 NFL Draft, what might happen if the Cleveland Browns used all those picks to remake their defense?
The Cleveland Browns apparently had a plan for the early stage of 2017 NFL free agency, and that plan was to craft an offensive line the team could take confidence in. The Browns achieved this by adding center J.C. Tretter and guard Kevin Zeitler, while extending guard Joel Bitonio. With stalwart left tackle Joe Thomas in the mix, the line is almost entirely settled and should be much better than it was last season.
What if the Browns took this same approach and applied it to a different portion of the roster—say the defense—in April's draft? Given the five picks the Browns hold within the first 65 of the draft, it's not unrealistic to think the team can come away with three or four quality starters. This is a draft heavy in defensive talent, after all. The addition of three or four quality starters could really change the complexion of Cleveland's defense.
Just for fun, let's take a look at what Cleveland's draft haul might look like if the team only focused on defense in the first three rounds. To keep things at least somewhat realistic, we'll use the big board of CBS Sports' Dan Brugler for reference. In this three-round mock, I'll be selecting prospects ranked no more than two spots higher than Cleveland's draft position.
1. (1st Overall) Myles Garrett, EDGE – Texas A&M
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We'll start off this defensive draft with possibly the top overall player in the entire draft class. Former Texas A&M standout Myles Garrett has all the physical potential to become a dominant defender at the pro level.
Danny Kelly of The Ringer had this to say about the near-sure No. 1 overall pick:
Garrett is not as complete or polished a player as the hype might suggest, but we haven't seen a pass rusher with this blend of size, agility, and explosiveness since J.J. Watt blew up the combine in 2011.
If the Browns could get a fresh, healthy J.J. Watt, they most certainly would. Pairing Garrett with second-year edge-rusher Emanuel Ogbah would give the Browns a quality pair of bookend defenders. Add defensive tackle Danny Shelton to the mix, and all of a sudden Cleveland has a pretty intimidating defensive front.
1 (12th Overall). Haason Reddick, LB – Temple
Former Temple defensive end Haason Reddick is a bit undersized for the end position at the pro level (he's 6-1, 237 pounds), but he could be a quality weakside linebacker for the Browns.
Reddick has the athleticism to chase ball-carriers and to perform in coverage (he ran a 4.52-second 40-yard dash at the combine). He also has a fair amount of proven production. Even playing our of position, Reddick was able to amass 65 tackles, 10.5 sacks and 22.5 tackles for a loss in 2016. Placing Reddick next to Christian Kirksey and Jamie Collins could give Cleveland snazzy foundation for their linebacker corps.
2 (33rd Overall). Budda Baker, FS – Washington
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The trio of Joe Haden, Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun looked pretty strong for the Browns in 2016—at least when the players were all healthy. Unfortunately, the safety play was often atrocious because of both injuries and inexperience. This is where Washington's Budda Baker could come in. He is a quick (ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the combine) coverage safety who would likely immediately start on the back end.
In sub-packages, he has the quickness and coverage ability to slide into the nickel, much in the way Tyrann Mathieu does for the Arizona Cardinals. Baker's presence would add talent and versatility to the Browns' secondary.
2. (52nd Overall) Caleb Brantley, DT – Florida
The offseason hiring of Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator means that we're likely to see quite a lot of four-man fronts in Cleveland moving forward. This is why it can't hurt to add a player who can contribute to the defensive line rotation in multiple roles. Here, the Browns add former Florida defensive tackle Caleb Brantley, a 6-3, 307-pound interior lineman.
In Brantley's NFL.com Draft Profile, Lance Zierlein offered this about the prospect:
Powerful, stout defensive tackle with the quickness to play the three-technique and the power to play the nose. Brantley has the talent and traits that should appeal to both two-gap and one-gap defenses.
Whether or not he starts as a rookie, Brantley could play an important role in Cleveland's new-look defense.
3. (65th Overall) Chidobe Awuzie, CB – Colorado
Does it hurt to add another quality cornerback to a team's secondary depth? Of course it doesn't. Colorado's Chidobe Awuzie would be a nice addition to the coverage unit in Round 3. Awuzie produced 55 total tackles, 11 passes defended and five interceptions in 2016. He also averaged 29.5 yards per kickoff return and 15.75 yards per punt return. He returned four total kicks for scores last season.
Adding Awuzie would not only add good depth to the secondary, it would potentially fill a special-teams void.
So there you have it, folks. I'm pretty sure that the Browns won't use their first five picks in the draft on defense, but if they did, it might look something like this mock. While this would obviously leave some holes on offense (quarterback, anyone?), it's kind of exciting to think about how quickly and how dramatically the Browns could upgrade their defense in a single draft.
