Cleveland Browns mock draft: All defense edition
By Thomas Moore
3rd Round (No. 65 overall) – Kamalei Correa, OLB, Boise State
Kamalei Correa was a second team All-Mountain West selection in 2015 after leading the Broncos with 11 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Surprisingly, Correa recorded even better numbers in his sophomore year when he was named first-team All Mountain West with 12 sacks and 19 tackles for a loss.
The 6-foot-3, 243-pound Correa has never played at outside linebacker, but he is looking forward to the challenge of transitioning to what many believe will be his best position in the NFL.
“I’m willing to accept the challenge,” Correa said at the NFL Scouting Combine. “It’s going to be something new to me, but I love a new challenge. I love playing football. It’s always been a dream of mine to play linebacker, and I feel like my body structure is built for that position. “I feel like I do need to fine-tune my moves and my techniques. But I feel like my get off is probably the best part of my game.”
He has also been drawing comparisons to former Browns linebacker Clay Matthews, which means that Correa’s “he gets us” factor is off the charts.
4th Round (No. 99 overall) – Cyrus Jones, CB, Alabama
Cyrus Jones started playing cornerback as a sophomore in 2013 and one year later was a second team All-SEC selection after posting three interceptions and 13 pass deflections while playing in the nation’s toughest conference. He started all 15 games for the Crimson Tide during its championship season in 2015, where in addition to defense he showcased his talents as a punt returner, scoring four touchdowns on punt returns, one short of the FBS single-season record.
He does have a habit of taking plays off, which is something of a concern, especially for a Browns team that has spent the past two seasons dealing a young cornerback whose focus on football remains a question mark.
However, if a team can get Jones to focus they may be on to something, as Pro Football Focus points out:
"On most downs, Cyrus Jones is an excellent cornerback that overcomes a relative lack of side with fantastic aggression, decisiveness and physicality, but the plays where he switches off – or for some reason doesn’t seem to give 100 percent – cost him and his team. Teams will need to identify why those plays happen and if they can find a solution to them, because they are by far his biggest drawback, and the issue that is keeping him from being discussed among the best cornerbacks in this draft."
4th Round (No. 138 overall) – Scooby Wright, ILB, Arizona State
Scooby Wright saw a promising 2015 season limited to just three games because of a torn lateral meniscus in this left knee and then to a sprained right foot. He was healthy for the New Mexico Bowl, however, and finished the day with 15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks.
In 2014 Wright was the nation’s top defender, earning the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, Rotary Lombardi Award and Chuck Bednarik Award. He was a unanimous All-American and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year ranked after finishing with 163 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, 14 sacks and six forced fumbles.
According to his draft profile at NFL.com:
"Scooby Wright probably won’’t tear up the combine with eye-popping athletic numbers and his injury-plagued 2015 season put his name on the backburner as far as draft discussions, but his instincts, production and overall competitive fire make him one of the safer second day bets in this draft. He could make a late move up the draft board for teams who value elite production."
If the Browns are looking to take a chance on someone on day three of the draft, Wright could be the name the team calls.
Next: Round 5