Chad Reuter of NFL.com’s latest mock draft has the Cleveland Browns trading down, but moving back this much does not seem like a good idea.
This would be an all-out nightmare scenario. In his latest mock draft, Chad Reuter has the Cleveland Browns trading back. Way back. The trade? New Orleans sends the 24th overall pick, 2021’s 1st rounder and a 2020 3rd rounder. The Saints take the heir apparent to Drew Brees in Jordan Love while the Browns select, wait for it, USC tackle Austin Jackson.
Reuter explained this move.
The Browns pick up a third-rounder this year and a first-rounder in 2021 and still fill a pressing need.
In theory this is a good idea. The problem? The tackles still left on the board. Tristan Wirfs is the only tackle taken before the 10th overall pick. That means that Mekhi Becton, Andrew Thomas, and Jedrick Wills Jr. are all available. This is would be a good thing for Cleveland, apparently Reuter did not think so. The Browns would basically have their pick (minus Wirfs) of the tackle prospects and instead they trade down. This would be a situation where they do not mess around and just take the tackle they so desperately need.
I get the logic, I really do. Acquiring more picks in order to fix a roster full of holes seems perfect on the surface, but when a solution is literally staring you in the face at 10 it cannot be passed up. Don’t get too cute, just take the tackle and move along. Now, if a team closer to 10 wants to move up that’s a different story, but the 24th overall pick is just too far. Cleveland needs to do their best to acquire the best talent. A larger collection of players does not always equal more talent, sometimes it just means more players that are nothing special. We’ve seen those drafts before and they have not worked out well.
If it comes to time to pick and the only lineman gone is Wirfs, make the pick, do not trade down.
