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Cleveland Browns go cornerback in PFF mock draft

By Randy Gurzi

COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Defensive back Deandre Baker #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Tyler Simmons #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Georgia Bulldogs on October 9, 2016 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Todd Bennett/GettyImages)
COLUMBIA, SC - OCTOBER 9: Defensive back Deandre Baker #18 of the Georgia Bulldogs breaks up a pass intended for wide receiver Tyler Simmons #3 of the South Carolina Gamecocks of the Georgia Bulldogs on October 9, 2016 at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina. (Photo by Todd Bennett/GettyImages) /
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Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus released his post-Super Bowl mock draft and has the Cleveland Browns going for a cornerback at No. 17 overall

It’s officially mock draft season. With the Super Bowl over, all 32 teams have turned the page and are now in offseason mode — and the NFL Draft will be front and center during this time. For fans of the Cleveland Browns, we are in some unfamiliar territory. For the past two seasons, the Browns have controlled the start of the draft as they had the No. 1 overall pick in both 2017 and 2018.

In addition to those selections, Cleveland also possessed the No. 4 pick in this past draft which put many eyes on them as many wondered what they were going to do. This year, things are different as the Browns finished with a 7-8-1 record and will now be drafting at No. 17.

They’re also nowhere near as desperate for playmakers as they have far fewer holes on their roster after a full year of general manager John Dorsey doing his thing. That doesn’t mean they’re a complete team yet, and most mock drafts out there tend to agree with the major positions that need to be addressed — with defensive tackle, offensive tackle, and wide receiver seeming to be the way the majority of these mocks go.

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However, Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus (subscription required) is going a different route as he has the Browns selecting Georgia cornerback DeAndre Baker in his post-Super Bowl mock draft.

"“Baker may not do any one thing, in particular, that could be described as ‘elite,’ but his collection of skills has led to elite production. Baker earned a 90.0 grade this past year and a 89.6 grade in 2017.” — Renner, Pro Football Focus"

This one seems hard to agree with. The Browns don’t have near as big a need at defensive back as they do the other positions previously mentioned — with defensive tackle being the No. 1 priority considering their struggles against the run. And in Renner’s mock, some top-tier players at the position like Christian Wilkins and Jeffery Simmons are still available.

Should Cleveland pass on those two players for a CB2, it would be head-scratching, to say the least.

Still, crazier things have happened in the draft and at least DeAndre Baker is a good player who would enhance their pass defense. And, let’s be honest, Cleveland did do well for themselves the last time they drafted a Baker.

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