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SB Nation mock draft’s second round is questionable for the Browns

By Thomas Moore

Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) tackles Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) during the second quarter of the 2016 CFP Semifinal at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide defensive back Marlon Humphrey (26) tackles Washington Huskies wide receiver John Ross (1) during the second quarter of the 2016 CFP Semifinal at the Georgia Dome. Alabama defeated Washington 24-7. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Cleveland Browns need help in the secondary, but SB Nation’s two-round mock draft has some questionable selections in the second round.

The first round of the NFL Draft has been a dicey proposition for the Cleveland Browns over the years.

This year, however, it seems as if the Browns can’t mess things up in the opening round – especially if they select Texas A&M defensive end Myles Garrett, the draft’s consensus No. 1 overall selection.

That leaves Cleveland’s second first-round selection, currently No. 12, and the pair of second-round selections as the ones carrying the most speculation as to what the Browns have in store for draft weekend.

Dan Kadar at SB Nation rolled out a two-round mock draft on Monday that has a few surprising names on it for the Browns on day two of the draft.

In round one, Kadar sticks with Garrett at No. 1 overall and then rolls the dice later in the first round by selecting quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, the one-year starter from North Carolina:

"The first quarterback is finally off the board and the Browns get a local favorite to fix the long-standing issues at the position."

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Trubisky will be an interesting, albeit risky, selection. Many Browns fans will be excited as they view him as the second coming of Bernie Kosar because Trubisky grew up in Mentor rooting for the Browns. But there are major questions about why Trubisky was not able to win the starting job for the Tar Heels under his final year.

But there are legitimate questions about every one of the available quarterbacks in this year’s draft, so for now let’s accept that Trubisky is the man and move on to an interesting second round.

Kadar kicks off the second round by having the Browns select Alabama cornerback Marlon Humphrey, a player that we have not seen connected much to Cleveland during this draft season.

Humphrey has good size (6-foot and 197 pounds), but there are some questions about his game, according to Pro Football Focus:

"Humphrey played a big role on a very good Alabama defense, but will face some questions as he transitions to the next level. He has the size and length to play press coverage, but he loses far too often at the catch point, particularly down the field. Humphrey’s best work often comes in zone coverage and he may be able to help a team as a safety. Despite the question marks, make no mistake about it, if Humphrey lands at the right spot, he can be a very good player in the NFL."

It’s nice that Humphrey may be able to help out at safety as that is a weak spot for the Browns, but there may be a few too many questions surrounding his actual play for the Browns to take him. As much as Cleveland needs to hit the mark with their first-round selections, they really need to make sure they get a player at the top of the second round as well.

Nov 19, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Miami Hurricanes tight end Christopher Herndon IV (23) stiff arms North Carolina State Wolfpack safety Josh Jones (11) during the first half at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 19, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Miami Hurricanes tight end Christopher Herndon IV (23) stiff arms North Carolina State Wolfpack safety Josh Jones (11) during the first half at Carter Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports /

Kadar stays in the second for the Browns final second-round pick, selecting Josh Jones, a 6-foot-1 and 220-pound safety from North Carolina State.

Much like Humphrey, there are questions about Jones’ ability to be a consistent player, according to Pro Football Focus:

"Jones is a frustrating player to evaluate because he’ll show flashes of the athleticism he put on display, only to make a number of mental errors that result in big plays for the offense. When focused in man coverage, his speed and physicality allows him to run with most receivers in space, and he does an excellent job of locating balls and outplaying his man in the air for the break-up. However, in zone situations he appears to freelance at times, a problem that generally appears to worsen the closer he is to the line of scrimmage. He’ll need to shore up his mental errors and become a more consistent tackler in order to see the field on defense, so at this stage he’s primary role is likely to be special teams."

Not to belabor the point, and there are certainly no guarantees in the draft, but the time for the Browns to take players that may not be fully up to speed is not in the second round.

If the Browns are looking to fix the secondary in this round, players like Connecticut safety Obi Melifonwu, Washington safety Budda Baker, Utah safety Marcus Williams  or Colorado cornerback Chidobe Awuzie – who are all still available – would seem to be better fits.

Next: Browns draft profile: Jonathan Allen

The 2017 NFL Draft will take place April 27-29 in Philadelphia. The Browns currently hold 11 draft picks, including five of the first 65 selections.

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