Cleveland Browns: 3 second-round targets who can start day one
By Randy Gurzi
Taylor Rapp, S, Washington
The final player we look at is Taylor Rapp, the Washington safety who was one of the favorite picks in many mock drafts before the Browns landed Morgan Burnett in free agency. While the addition of Burnett does give them a veteran strong safety, the team shouldn’t hesitate to select Rapp is he does last until the 49th overall pick.
What really makes Rapp stand out as a safety prospect is his versatility. He’s capable of playing in coverage due to his incredible instincts. He isn’t as natural as a free safety, but he can play there if needed. With Damarious Randall on the roster, that won’t be the case since he has that spot locked down.
The same can’t be said for Burnett who just turned 30 years old and didn’t live up to expectations with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018. While they could still do worse than him as the starter, Rapp would be an improvement.
Known as a violent hitter, Rapp is all over the field when lined up as a strong safety. He had at least 51 tackles in each of his three seasons and added six sacks and seven interceptions for the Huskies.
Due to their moves in free agency, safety isn’t the No. 1 priority. Still, Rapp makes a lot of sense and will start for the next eight to 10 seasons for whoever lands him.