The Cleveland Browns have named as a team who could choosed to trade up in the 2019 NFL Draft, but should cornerback be the position they target?
The one thing John Dorsey has proven since taking over as the Cleveland Browns general manager in December 2017 is that he is not afraid to wheel and deal.
In his year and half with the Browns organization, Dorsey has turned over almost the entire roster and brought in his own players. He has also done so in an extremely aggressive manner in some cases.
His willingness to make these moves has the Browns on the precipice of making the playoffs in 2019. After several key additions this off-season, Cleveland is being viewed as the favorite to win the AFC North next year.
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Dorsey’s aggressive mindset helped the Browns land superstar wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., helping build an offense that has the potential of being the most dynamic in the NFL next season. But in order to land Beckham, Dorsey needed to give the 17th overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft, leaving the Browns without a first round selection in the upcoming draft.
However, because of Dorsey showing he will do whatever he can to upgrade the roster, the Browns are being viewed as a team likely to trade up during the draft. With their first selection being the 49th overall pick, Dorsey may have to move up in order to land an impactful player for the 2019 season.
But what position would the Browns be willing to move up in the draft for? If they do decide they want to move up in the draft, the odds would most likely be in favor of adding to the defense. And it would likely be a player to fill into the secondary.
So far this off-season, the Browns have emphasized building up their defensive front. Cleveland landed defensive end Olivier Vernon in a trade with the New York Giants and then signed defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson during free agency.
Those two moves helped solidify the Browns’ starting defensive line. Although depth appears to be an issue for the defensive line, if the Browns are deciding to move up in the draft, it should be for a player who will be playing a bigger role instead of just being depth.
With that being said, the two positions that stand out the most for needing more talent is safety and cornerback. Not only did the Browns have the eighth-worst pass defense last season, but they have also lost more talent in the secondary than they have added this off-season.
As the roster currently sits, Damarious Randall and Eric Murray would be the starting safeties and Denzel Ward, Terrance Mitchell, and T.J. Carrie are the top-three cornerbacks. Murray was acquired on Monday from the Kansas City Chiefs.
Safety is arguably the biggest need for the Browns currently, as their strong safety depth chart is currently consisted of Murray and Jermaine Whitehead. For a team wanting to make the playoffs in 2019, that position will be a real concern.
Murray is a converted cornerback who started nine games for the Chiefs last season. Although he may not be a big name Browns fans would have hoped for after the trends of this off-season, Josh Keatley of USA Today notes that Murray was a reliable player for Kansas City last season.
"Murray is not an All-Pro-caliber player, but he does have a tad bit of a playmaker spark to his game as evidenced by him continuously being in the right spot. He also has a reputation of being one of the hardest workers both on and off the field. Consistent and steady play is never a bad thing —especially in regard to a defensive back. He has also been a really good special teams contributor."
Because Dorsey is familiar with Murray, the Browns may plan on him being the teams starting safety next season. If that is the case, then it would not be completely necessary to move up to select a safety in the draft. There are also free agent safeties available who could provide good depth or even start for the Browns.
So if the Browns choose to move up in the draft, they should be doing so to find a cornerback who could pair next to Ward for the next several seasons.
Although Mitchell and Carrie played well last season, it was arguably the best season they have played in their careers. Instead of hoping that both players will repeat their success in 2019, the Browns should provide insurance in case they slip back into their career norms.
Also, the Browns have lost depth at the position. E.J. Gaines, who started two games for the Browns in 2018, signed with the Buffalo Bills this off-season. Cleveland also cut Howard Wilson, leaving the cornerback position notably thin. If the Browns want to find young talent in the draft, they may need to do so early on.
The cornerback position is not the deepest group in the draft, and it also does not feature top-end talent which will be selected early in the first round. The two cornerbacks expected to go first in the draft, Greedy Williams and Byron Murphy, are currently projected to be selected in the mid-teens into the 20th selections of the first round.
Draft experts have concerns about some parts of Williams’ and Murphy’s games, causing their draft stock to slip in the later portion of the first round. But they both possess enough talent and potential that makes them attractive options if they start to slip towards the end of the first round.
It may cost too much draft stock for the Browns to move into range to select either player, but they could instantly make an impact for the Browns defense if they could get into range. And with eight total selections in the 2019 NFL Draft, Dorsey does have the assets to mess around with and move up 20 selections.
But if he feels it is too costly to move up for those two players, there are some other solid options who could be selected in the early portion of the second round: Rock Ya-Sin, Deandre Baker, and Trayvon Mullen are some of the players expected go early on day two. It would not cost as many assets to select one of these players, but a case can be made that these players are a tier below Williams and Murphy.
With how aggressive Dorsey has been this off-season, it would make a lot of sense if he would rather make fewer selections in the 2019 NFL Draft if he had an opportunity to add a player he feels will make a big impact for the 2019 Browns.
They may not be able to climb all the way back into the first round, but it would not be surprising if the Browns move up from the 49th overall selection. And if they do, adding a cornerback should be the position they target in this draft class.