Cleveland Browns: 5 prospects worth trading up for in the 2019 NFL Draft
3. Johnathan Abram, Safety, Mississippi State
The Browns need a strong, hard-hitting safety to put across from Damarious Randall. In the absence of Jabrill Peppers, Cleveland is missing a secondary defender who can get into linebacker territory, make the tackle, and defend against the run. At the same time, they need someone with the agility of a safety and versatility in pass coverage. They might just have their man in Mississippi State’s Johnathan Abram.
The Browns have been linked to multiple Mississippi State products throughout the offseason (more on that later), but Abram has never been the popular choice to Cleveland. The Browns didn’t need a safety before trading away Peppers and No. 17 overall for Odell Beckham Jr. Now, however, they’ve fallen out of Abram’s range, and have a hole at safety.
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The Browns could trade up relatively late into the first round and have a good chance at Abram’s services. Although the consensus pick at No. 49 overall is a safety, John Dorsey might get aggressive and try to address the need with a higher pick.
Johnathan Abram is the top safety prospect in this class, and, as his 99 total tackles in 2018 will show, he can lay the hit on ball carriers. The Browns would be getting a fantastic tackler, as well as a smart talent in the defensive secondary. This one could actually happen, but it’s not terribly likely.