Cleveland Browns: 7-round mock draft addresses major holes

This season, more so than any other in recent memory, the Browns have had their depth on the defensive line tested. Entering the season, they had Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon locked in as the starters with Chris Smith and Chad Thomas serving as the primary backups. Heading into Week 17, things look much different.

Garrett is serving an indefinite suspension and hasn’t been allowed to play since Week 11. Vernon hasn’t been on the field since Week 13 as he’s dealt with a knee injury. Smith was recently released.

That’s left Cleveland with Thomas as one of the starters and while he’s played better than expected, he hasn’t been the same caliber as either Vernon or Garrett. And with the position so thin, they’ve turned to players such as Porter Gustin and Bryan Cox as of late — although they’ve also used Sheldon Richardson on the edge as well, which has been succesful.

John Dorsey cannot go into this season without having some more depth on the line. They should have Garrett back and Thomas is still improving but they will need players not only for resting the starters but Vernon likely won’t play 16 games in 2020 considering this is his third-straight season missing significant time.

With all that in mind, they target Florida’s Jonathan Greenard. A transfer from Louisville, the redshirt freshman is a high-IQ player and is having the best season of his career with 52 tackles and nine sacks. He could develop into something more than a situational pass rusher down the road but until then, he gives them a high-energy backup.