Cleveland Browns instill new hope in 7-round 2020 mock draft

Expectations weren’t even close to met for the Cleveland Browns last year but this post-Combine 7-round mock draft gives fans new hope moving forward.

There was legitimate dark-horse Super Bowl buzz brewing about the Cleveland Browns coming into the 2019 season after Baker Mayfield sparked the imaginations of fans in his rookie season. Unfortunately, aspirations to possibly make the Big Game didn’t come close to fruition as the Browns’ season went off the rails under Freddie Kitchens and the team failed to even make the playoffs.

Hiring Kitchens in itself proved to be a massive mistake and, both in pairing and as a result, Mayfield regressed, new addition Odell Beckham Jr. failed to deliver, the offensive line was a train wreck, Myles Garrett was swinging helmets at opposing players and the season was an outright disaster. Now with Kevin Stefanski taking over for Kitchens, free agency and the 2020 NFL Draft are all about getting things back on track.

Despite how awfully the 2019 season turned out, there is still plenty of hope for the Browns. Mayfield can still be a franchise quarterback, Beckham, Jarvis Landry and Nick Chubb are an elite core of weapons and the defense has enticing talent as well. It’s all about honing in on the glaring holes and addressing them, particularly in the NFL Draft.

So with the NFL Combine in the rearview and free agency looming, let’s look at how the Cleveland Browns can renew hope in this team in a 7-round 2020 mock draft.

Notes: All measurables and testing via NFL Combine and NFL.com. This mock draft was simulated using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine.

Height: 6-7 | Weight: 364 pounds | Arms: 35.625 inches
40-Yard Dash: 5.10 seconds | Bench Press: 23 reps

For all the individual issues that Baker Mayfield displayed in his sophomore NFL campaign, he wasn’t done any favors by his offensive line. While J.C. Tretter and Joel Bitonio were fine on the interior, the tackle play was downright abhorrent.

Greg Robinson — who is now a free agent and also facing 20 years in prison, neither of which inspire confidence about his 2020 outlook for the Browns — regressed after a strong 2018 showing while Chris Hubbard and Justin McCray left perhaps even more to be desired. Frankly, the Browns would be doing their young franchise quarterback and the team as a whole a huge disservice to not aggressively address the offensive line this offseason.

While the Browns could certainly use some cap space to pursue some O-line help this offseason, they also use the No. 10 pick here to do the same by taking Louisville’s Mekhi Becton. And talk about a specimen of a human being with unreal size and length on the edge that, by itself, makes him a matchup nightmare. However, Becton also has incredible movement skills and athleticism for a player his size.

Putting that type of presence on the edge of the Browns offensive line would give them an immediate upgrade. Becton has the pedigree as an athlete and prospect to succeed right away but also has room to improve with his technique and hand usage to make him an even better pro. That’s exactly the type of player Cleveland needs in the trenches.