Cleveland Browns mock draft: All defense edition

Round 3, Pick 1 (65 overall): Tre’Davious White, LSU, Cornerback

Safety isn’t the only position in the secondary where the Browns need help, so adding a cornerback to along with incumbents Jamar Taylor and Joe Haden would be a plus.

The Browns worked with LSU cornerback Tre’Davious White during practices for the Senior Bowl, but did not have a chance to coach him in the game as he injured his ankle in practice.

White showed his versatility by playing both nickel and outside cornerback for the Tigers, and also had three punt returns of longer than 60 yards for touchdowns.

A four-year starter at LSU and a first-team All-American his senior season, White was also the top-rated cornerback by Pro Football Focus.

We’re not sure how he lasted until the third round, but if he is there when the Browns go on the clock they should grab him up.

Round 4, Pick 1 (106 overall): Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova, Defensive line

His career may have gotten off to a slow start, but Villanova defense end Tanoh Kpassagnon made up for it his final two seasons in college.

As a junior he was a  first-team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection after finishing with 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. He then took home first-team Associated Press FCS All-American honors as a senior after finishing sixth in the FCS with 21.5 tackles for loss and tying for fifth nationally with 11 sacks.

The 6-foot-7 and 280-pound Kpassagnon also caught the attention of everyone at the Senior Bowl.

“He’s really twitchy for a long, rangy guy,” NFL Network draft analyst Bucky Brooks told mlive.com. “Normally you expect those guys to kind of lumber and labor off the ball, and he doesn’t. He has some quickness. He has some special ability. He has some special qualities, and he’s one of the guys that has been the buzz of the town.”

Round 4, Pick 36 (141 overall): Derek Rivers, Youngstown State, Outside linebacker

Now that the Browns have the defensive line taken care of it is time to add another pass rusher at outside linebacker.

To do that they may only have to look about 75 miles to the east, where they will find Youngstown State outside linebacker Derek Rivers, who is catching the attention of a lot of people during practices for Saturday’s Senior Bowl.

A four-year starter for the Penguins, Rivers was a three-time first-team All-MVFC honoree who finished his collegiate career with 173 career tackles, including 56.5 tackles for loss. The numbers that really jump out are his 48 quarterback hurries and school record 41 sacks in 49 career games.

With an abundance of draft picks and in major need of pass rushers, the players like Kpassagnon and Rivers are the types of gambles the Browns may be able to take in search of a big payoff.