2016 NFL Mock Draft: Jalen Ramsey to Browns a Great Pick

Quarterback has been the primary focus surrounding the Cleveland Browns this off season, but a recent 2016 NFL Mock Draft has the team instead taking talented defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Drafting based on need is rarely a good idea, but is this the right move for Cleveland?

Once again, the Cleveland Browns are tearing everything up for a rebuild. This franchise has struggled mightily through recent times, but they continue to work hard to get it right. Owner Jimmy Haslam cleaned house once again this off season, leaving a young and exciting group led by 38-year-old salary cap expert Sashi Brown and analytics guru with extensive baseball background Paul DePodesta in charge.

The group led by Brown and DePodesta are completely non-traditional, but their fresh views on how to build an organization can only help the Browns moving forward. How much worse could it really get? If nothing else, it is nice to see the Browns taking a chance like this.

Free agency and veteran moves will obviously be important, but nothing will mean more to the rebuilding Browns than the 2016 NFL Draft this off season. The Browns’ front office needs to make sure that they are taking the best players for their team with each and every selection, starting with the second overall pick in the draft.

Most around the draft industry expect the Browns to take a quarterback with the second pick. Carson Wentz and Jared Goff appear to be viable candidates who could step in and lead the Browns going forward. That being said, they need to make sure they are not reaching for a position of need instead of taking the best player available.

Quarterback is undoubtedly a huge need on the Browns’ roster, but you could say that for a lot of positions on the team. They simply need to bring in many good football players to build around, regardless of position.

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Most versions of a 2016 NFL Mock Draft have the Browns taking a quarterback, myself included. However, I think it is more likely than most people think, that the Browns look in another direction with this pick. There are some exciting defensive prospects in this draft class that would immediately take the Browns’ defensive to the next level.

So, when Sports Illustrated’s Chris Burke did his Post-Combine 2016 NFL Mock draft, and predicted the Browns to take Florida State defensive back Jalen Ramsey, it caught my attention. Burke put together an exciting and knowledge filled mock draft that you should definitely check out, but for this post, I want to focus on the Browns’ selection. First, here is what Burke had to say about the Browns’ selection of Ramsey:

"Do the Browns want one of the top two quarterbacks in this draft, or do they want one of the top two players in this draft, period? That’s really what this decision boils down to. Given their current QB situation, with Johnny Manziel done and Josh McCown penciled in as the starter, it’s understandable why option A is the popular call. But this will be the first draft pick made by the new Cleveland front office. Don’t assume it is willing to gamble it on a QB. Ramsey is a stud. Cornerback? Safety? It doesn’t matter. Draft him and find a way to play him as much as possible."

I am not sure if the Browns have the guts to pass on a potential franchise quarterback, but if they do, Ramsey is a fantastic choice. He is a safety/cornerback hybrid who can undoubtedly dominate at either position in the NFL. I imagine that he would come in and take over for Tashaun Gipson at free safety if he were drafted by the Browns, but they would have options with Ramsey.

He is a strong coverage player who could legitimately excel at either position, or perhaps even both. Ramsey is a smart player with high football IQ, lining up at both safety and cornerback at times could certainly be an option.

Ramsey’s natural coverage ability, athleticism and ball skills were always on display in college, but he put on a show at the NFL Scouting Combine recently as well. Ramsey showed elite level athleticism with a 41.5″ vertical leap and 11’3″ broad jump, both of which he tied with RB Daniel Lasco for the best performance for any position at the entire combine.

Ramsey also showed impressive speed and quickness at the event, both in the timed events and in the positional drills. His 11.10 second 60-yard shuttle was the seventh best time at the combine and his 4.41 40-yard dash was the 11th best time. Ramsey showed up and cemented himself as a clear top five prospect in this draft class.

The Browns could simply sit back and draft a quarterback who they feel can lead them to the promise land, but that only fixes one position. Sure, it is the most important position in the game, but it’s not like the Browns are simply a quarterback away from competing. They have serious work to do throughout their roster, and it is going to take some time to turn around their fortunes.

This much I know for sure; Jalen Ramsey is an incredibly talented football player who the Cleveland Browns and any other NFL team would love to have. His skills as a defensive back are obvious, and he is as close to a sure thing as there is the 2016 draft class.

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This quarterback class has some talent, but these guys are not Andrew Luck. There is plenty of risk associated with this quarterback class. Guys like Wentz, Goff and Paxton Lynch have true franchise quarterback upside, but it is far from a guarantee that they will ever reach it. Taking the much safer prospect who has probably even more upside at his respective position is not a bad move no matter how you look at it.

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2016 NFL Mock Draft: Jalen Ramsey to Cleveland Browns a Great Pick

By Dan Schmelzer | Mar 2, 2016

Quarterback has been the primary focus surrounding the Cleveland Browns this off season, but a recent 2016 NFL Mock Draft has the team instead taking talented defensive back Jalen Ramsey. Drafting based on need is rarely a good idea, but is this the right move for Cleveland?