Day two Options for the Browns
With three picks on Day Two of the 2020 NFL Draft and a ton of talent left on the board, the Browns have a chance to land some impact players for what should make for an exciting day. After landing arguably the top tackle in the draft with pristine pass sets and advanced footwork in Jedrick Wills Jr, the Browns have their left tackle position taken care of for the foreseeable future. Now that the offensive line is taken care of, it’s time to have some real fun the rest of the way. The Browns still have a few holes on the roster, namely at Safety, Linebacker, and WR3 since Rashard “Hollywood” Higgins remains unsigned. However, there is no need to pigeonhole themselves into reaching as they could add to the DL, Edge, and CB positions because teams could always use quality depth and rotational pieces there. With this kind of flexibility to be able to take the best player available in this deep draft, the Browns could reasonably land three impact players today and potentially more with a trade. Here are a few options for the Cleveland Browns on Day Two of the 2020 NFL Draft:
Xavier McKinney, Safety, Alabama
McKinney is the best player left on the board, and it is surprising to see that no safeties were selected in the first round. McKinney didn’t run so great at the combine posting a 4.64, but the guy is all over the field and constantly around the ball on tape. He’s a solid tackler always wrapping up on hits, and the guy flat out makes impact plays. He can create turnovers at an outstanding rate, is incredibly versatile on the back end of the defense, and plays forward with velocity and intent. He seems to be in the frame at the end of every play and can be a real difference maker on the Browns defense. It’s a surprise to see him available in the second round, but he’ll make some team very happy.
Grant Delpit, Safety, LSU
Delpit was widely considered as one of the top defensive players in all of college football and a consensus first round pick coming into this season, but injuries hurt his production and draft stock. However, Delpit has plenty of potential and a ton of intangibles to suggest that he could be a great leader of the defense. His style of play is similar to Minkah Fitzpatrick, but he has some issues with tackling, which is mostly due to him not wrapping up. He was constantly directing the LSU defense, and it is easy to tell that he is always watching film. He’s fantastic in both zone and man coverage, and if he can clean up the tackling issues, he can be one of the better safeties in the NFL.
Antoine Winfield Jr, Safety, Minnesota
Winfield Jr is a super talented NFL legacy who would serve as a plug and play starting safety on the Cleveland defense. He’s an intelligent kid, great leader, and plays with infectious energy on the field. He is a ball hawking safety who can play sideline to sideline in single high coverage and can climb the ladder with his great ball skills to intercept passes downfield. He plays physical when he comes downhill and can help out in run support. There’s a bit of an injury risk with Winfield, but he has all the makings of a potential superstar. Can’t go wrong with any of these three safeties.
Yetur Gross-Matos, Defensive End, Penn State
If the Browns decide to go edge with their first pick tonight, Gross-Matos would be a steal on day two. He has great size, and if he can add some strength to his lower-half, it could help his bull rush become much more effective. He’s a fantastic run defender who can hold the edge and make plays in the backfield. His pass rush moves are solid, but he still needs coached up to develop more techniques to go along with his incredible inside move. This isn’t necessarily the biggest need for Cleveland, but he has the potential to produce 8-10 sacks a year as he develops his raw traits.
Josh Uche, Defensive End, Michigan
Uche is an undersized and underutilized pass rusher who could develop into a nice player. At only 6’1, his long arms make up for his lack of size, he has natural leverage, and couples that with great bend and closing speed that he uses to finish plays in the backfield. He’ll need some more time to develop, so a year as a rotational player behind Garrett and Vernon could give him enough time to continue to develop his bull rush and add more strength. He’s definitely an interesting target for Cleveland in the third round if he makes it that far.
Honorable Mentions:
Of course, there’s plenty of other names to keep an eye on with so much talent left on the board, and here are a few other players who would be great picks.
Jordan Elliot, Defensive Lineman, Missouri
Denzel Mims, Wide Receiver, Baylor
Tyler Johnson, Wide Reeceiver, Minnesota
Bryan Edwards, Wide Receiver, South Carolina
Ross Blacklock, Defensive Lineman, TCU
Logan Wilson, Linebacker, Wyoming
Akeem Davis-Gaither, Linebacker, Appalachian State
Jaylon Johnson, Cornerback, Utah
Amik Robertson, Cornerback, Louisiana Tech
Terrell Burgess, Safety, Utah
Jeremy Chinn, Safety, Southern Illinois
Kyle Dugger, Safety, Lenoir-Rhyne
K’Von Wallace, Safety, Clemson
