Cleveland Browns address defense in 2020 NFL mock draft

The Browns yet again continue their draft hitting big targets at positions of need. With their first pick in the third round, Cleveland gets Ohio State linebacker, Malik Harrison. Harrison was a four-year player for the Buckeyes and got better in every season. He played middle backer for them and was excellent in the run game and around the line of scrimmage.

He will come in and likely play the mike linebacker in the middle for the Browns, while Mack Wilson can play the will backer in space and Sione Takitaki will be the sam linebacker, and B.J. Goodson adding depth to the mike and sam positions. Harrison had 16 tackles for loss as a senior which shows how aggressive he was and able to make plays in the backfield.

Although the Browns have had a decent linebacker room for a few years who had a lot of tackles, what they really struggled with was stopping the play near the line of scrimmage. Yes, they had plenty of tackles which surely helped, but making the play five to six yards down the field as compared to near the line of scrimmage is a huge deal. Harrison would add a true, run-stopping linebacker who can plug running lanes and take on lead blocks as well as make the play early.

He’s a downhill type player with a chip on his shoulder. At 6-3 and almost 250-pounds, he’s the perfect size for a middle backer. He can come in and bolster the defense immediately. It’s a perfect fit because of the strengths that the young Browns’ linebackers have, it allows Wilson and Takitaki to play where they are comfortable. Not to mention, the NFL has had great success recently when drafting OSU players, and Harrison can come join fellow Buckeye Denzel Ward to solidify the defense.