The NFL season is in full swing, but when you’re a team with a pair of first-round picks, the NFL Draft always has to be in the back of your mind. That is the case for the Cleveland Browns. Although they are currently focused on the playoff race, the future stars of the franchise will be drafted this Spring.
While much of the attention will be on the Browns quarterback situation, this is far from the only need on the roster. Another one that should get a lot of attention will be an edge rusher. It’s arguably the second most important position behind quarterback and one that every team is looking to make a strength.
On Wednesday, the Browns were linked to a pass rusher in the first round of the coming draft. This mock draft came courtesy of Mike
Renner of SCB Sports in his post-trade deadline mock draft. With one of their two first-round picks, he linked Cleveland to Clemson pass rusher Will Heldt.
“Heldt is a massive nearly 6-foot-7 edge-rusher who's only gotten better every single season of his career. He has shorter arms which could cause him to slip in the draft, but he makes up for it with tremendous body control for a man that size.”
While Heldt isn’t an explosive athlete, he has been productive with his size and technique. I’m not convinced that this is a prospect that projects to being a true number one pass rusher; Heldt could be a good complement to Jared Verse and what the Browns already have in-house.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 2027 NFL Draft: Browns mocked an ACC edge rusher in new projection
