Cleveland Browns: 2019 7-Round mock draft with a quarter season to go

Round 1: Devin White, LB, LSU

With their first pick in this 2019 NFL Mock Draft, the Cleveland Browns take LSU linebacker Devin White. For some, this may be a surprise pick as there seem to be other needs on the team. That line of thinking makes sense.

First, there’s a gaping hole at left tackle. Yes, Greg Robinson has been better than expected, but he’s not about to be named to a Pro Bowl. On top of his struggles on the left side, there have also been issues on the right with Chris Hubbard.

Cleveland also has issues at wide receiver. They have some talent there, but they’re missing that No. 1 guy who defensive coordinators are scared of. While both those positions could use work, there’s another big hole on defense — the linebacker spot.

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For a while, it seemed like this would be the strength of the team with Joe Schobert, Jamie Collins, Christian Kirksey, and Mychal Kendricks on board. That didn’t pan out as Kendricks was cut for his role in an insider trading scheme and Kirksey is now on IR. Schobert also battled injuries and Collins has been up and down, to put it mildly.

On Sunday, we all saw how being down players at this position can hurt. Houston was able to attack the middle of the field all day and covering tight ends has been a nightmare for the Browns for years now.

Enter Devin White. A former running back, White has been a great player for the Tigers despite still learning a new position. He’s got the speed to cover running backs out of the backfield as well as tight ends over the middle. This pick would solve a lot of issues on a defense that’s really close to being special.