Cleveland Browns: 7-Round Mock Draft brings a new quarterback

Round 3: Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State

With their lone third round pick, the Browns look back to the defensive side of the ball — this time by taking Boise State linebacker Leighton Vander Esch. While he isn’t a guy who will jump off the screen with big impact plays, Vander Esch is a sure tackler that understands how plays develop. That understanding allows him to be in the right place at the right time constantly for the Broncos.

He’s also an excellent linebacker when it comes to dropping into coverage. That skill alone is enough to get the Browns interested in his services as he’s not a liability no matter the down and distance.

After minimal time in his first two seasons, Vander Esch really broke out for Boise State as a junior in 2017. He finished with an impressive 141 tackles, with four sacks, two interceptions and five pass deflections.

Again, the biggest knock will be that he simply isn’t a “wow” player. However, at this point in the draft, teams need to look for guys who can simply get on the field and contribute. Vander Esch is that kind of player as he’s simply a solid football player that will do his job every time out.