Cleveland Browns add Terrace Marshall, Ifeatu Melifonwu in 7-round mock draft
By Randy Gurzi
Ifeatu Melifonwu. 2. player. Scouting Report. CB. Syracuse. 827. Pick Analysis
Round 2, Pick 59: Ifeatu Melifonwu, CB, Syracuse
In the first round of this mock, which was done on The Draft Network, the Cleveland Browns were on the clock at No 26 and the top four corners were off the board — Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn, Caleb Farley, and Greg Newsome II.
With them gone, any cornerback at 26 would have been a stretch, which is why Terrace Marshall, Jr. was the pick. However, this doesn’t mean the need goes away — and thankfully, it also doesn’t mean they can’t find a player capable of playing significant snaps in 2021.
That player ends up being Ifeatu Melifonwu out of Syracuse who is a perfect fit for what the Browns do on defense. Listed at 6-foot-2 and 212-pounds, Melifonwu is considered a zone cornerback but he went to the Senior Bowl and proved he can also get the job done in man coverage. Of course, the fact that he did this in Mobile won’t catapult him up the boards into Round 1, but that’s a win for Cleveland as they are able to get their deep threat receiver (a major need) with the first pick and still land a starter opposite Denzel Ward.
An athletic phenom, he’s long and rangy and had three interceptions over the past two seasons. He’s also recorded 19 pass break-ups and 88 tackles in his career.