Cleveland Browns fix defense in bye week 7-round 2021 NFL mock draft

Nick Bolton has appeared in a Dawg Pound Daily weekly mock before, and it’s best to get familiar with him, because he’ll be linked to the Browns quite often over the next six or so months. He’s a terrific tackler with great run fit instincts and a nose for the ball. He hits hard and while he may not have elite range, that hasn’t stopped him from being solid in coverage for the Tigers.

Bolton would be able to start right away at MIKE, and with Jacob Phillips at WILL, the Browns would have two nice young linebackers, which is a massive problem area for the defense right now. The Browns won’t take a linebacker in the first round, and honestly, Bolton is good enough to go Day 1, so getting him in the third would be a major steal.

The Browns appear to have two good long-term starting safeties in Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison, although Delpit has yet to play in an NFL game. The team will need three starters, however, in addition to reliable and versatile depth. Joe Woods wants his safeties to be able to cover like cornerbacks, and Kolby Harvell-Peel has been used as a Swiss Army Knife for the Cowboys defense, finding success in all his various roles. He can effectively play in the box, in the slot, or in the backend.

With Delpit and Harrison also being very versatile, Woods would be able to mix and match his safeties, moving them around all game and exploiting weaknesses in the offense. Harvell-Peel has been good in coverage, which is not easy to do in the pass-happy Big 12.