Cleveland Browns: The race is on for the top offensive tackle in 2020 Draft
The Cleveland Browns are expected to target an offensive tackle at No. 10, but they may not have a chance with a race on for the top tackles.
The Cleveland Browns and other teams hoping to take a top offensive tackle in the NFL Draft may have some competition. This is according to highly respected Ian Rapoport of NFL Network and NFL.com, whose sources claim the Dolphins are uncomfortable at fifth overall and are seeking to move up to No. 3 in order to take their first choice at offensive tackle.
That suggests there is an enormous motivation to select one tackle, as he is clearly superior to the others. It also tells us it is very likely that two offensive tackles will be drafted among the top five picks, as both Miami and the New York Giants are believed to be eyeing an offensive tackle. That means the Browns are nowhere near a lock to be able to draft one of the top three tackles at No. 10 overall, if that is their goal.
Apparently, the Dolphins read the Dawg Pound Daily article suggesting the best strategy for the Cleveland Browns could be to work a trade with the New York Giants to move up to fourth overall. That apparently scared the Dolphins, who currently sit at fifth overall. Though rumors abound that the Fins will take a quarterback, NFL.com has recently been saying they want to go for an offensive tackle.
Sources: The #Dolphins have called the teams in front of them for a possible trade up from No. 5 and are gauging the price to come up to No. 3 to potentially take an offensive tackle. We could see a run on tackles in the Top 10 like never before.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 22, 2020
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A remaining question is, who is the top offensive tackle that has teams like the Dolphins so excited? Among the media, there is no consensus No. 1 offensive tackle this year, but this year’s buzz is there are three tackles who are very, very good: Tristan Wirfs of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Jedrick Wills of the Alabama Crimson Tide, and Andrew Thomas of the Georgia Bulldogs.
A fourth, Mekhi Becton, was also ranked very highly, but will probably slide some for an alleged “flagged” drug test. No one really knows what “flagged” means, but presumably they suspect the sample to be artificially clean.
In any case, if you look at the mock drafts, some have Wirfs as the top dog, with Thomas third. Others have the reverse order with Thomas first and Wirfs third. Still others say that Wills is clearly the best overall. Which is it?
This fan was never a player, only a fan, so there is a lot that I do not know about talent evaluation. However, one of the top three showed himself to be a mutant at the Combine, while the others are talented Homo sapiens.
That would be Wirfs. He is the guy with the outstanding mobility and athleticism to fit the wide zone blocking scheme that the Browns will implement this season.
Next. Browns draft day 7-round mock draft. dark
Draft the guy who is 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds who ran 4.85 at the Combine, with a 36.5-inch vertical leap. He also put up 24 reps on the bench press. Plus, coming out a year early at 21-years-old, he is still learning and possibly even still growing. He will get better over the next four years. He is the guy worth trading up for.