The Cleveland Browns are in first place of the AFC North and in the thick of a playoff hunt. At this point, the offseason should be the furthest thing from fans' minds. However, if you follow the NFL draft closely, then you already know that it’s a year-round process.
Any good general manager always has his eye on the future. And with the Browns having multiple first-round picks, building on their current momentum by continuing to add good young players is extremely important. This year’s draft will be as big of a deal as it ever has been.
Even analysts are already evaluating prospects and projecting team needs and fits. Yesterday, Sports Illustrated's Gilberto Manzano released his latest mock draft. Here are the moves he made with the Browns.
First Round
With the 11th overall pick (via the Los Angeles Rams), Cleveland traded back to the 15th overall pick, where they took Miami quarterback Darian Mensah. While he doesn’t have the high-potential physical gifts that other quarterbacks in this draft do, Mensah is excellent with his accuracy and anticipation. He might be the best and most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft.
With the Browns' original pick, which currently sits at 26th overall, Manzano went with Georgia cornerback Ellis Robinson IV. He is a quick-twitch athlete with all the speed and agility to be a number one corner in the NFL. He would be an ideal addition to any secondary.
Second Round
As a result of the Browns' previous trade back in the first round, Cleveland added the 48th pick from the Las Vegas Raiders. With that pick they took Oregon pass rusher Teitum Tuioti. It’s hard to argue against his production with the Ducks as he is coming off a season with 16.0 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.
Finally, with the 57th pick, Manzano had the Browns take Texas offensive tackle, Melvin Siani. Manzano had this to say about the pick.
“He’s a polished blocker in the pass and running games and has excellent size at 6'6", 317 pounds.”
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns get help on both sides of the ball in a new mock draft
