Cleveland Browns land cornerback and EDGE in 7-round mock

The Cleveland Browns will likely go defense early and often in the 2021 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns are trending in the right direction thanks in large part to the work done by 2020 NFL Head Coach of the Year, Kevin Stefanski.

Cleveland signed Stefanski last season after just one year with Freddie Kitchens as the head coach and while many had the “here we go again” take, the Browns did finally get it right. But the good news is, they seem to have not only hit a home run with their coach, but also with general manager Andrew Berry.

In his first season, Berry made some great moves and added several contributors in the draft. Most importantly was the way he fixed the offensive line with the signing of Jack Conklin and the drafting of Jedrick Wills.

This offseason, look for him to attack the defense with the same vigor. That’s exactly what we expect to happen here as he tries to beef up the team’s lackluster defensive play by focusing heavily on that side of the ball with his nine draft picks.

With their first pick in this mock, the Cleveland Browns grab Syracuse cornerback Ifeatu Melifonwu. While someone such as Jaycee Horn might be a better fit, the South Carolina corner is likely to climb boards too high for the Browns to add.

The good news is, Melifonwu is no consolation prize. The lengthy corner is able to use his size to his advantage as he can frustrate opposing wideouts. He’s been said to be primarily a zone corner but he showed off his man-coverage abilities at the Senior Bowl — and really increased his stock in the process.

What really makes him appealing for the Browns is the fact that he’s also aggressive against the run. Melifonwu is a solid tackler who will never shy away from contact.

He should be a day one starter opposite Denzel Ward and if Greedy Williams ever gets healthy from his nerve injury in the shoulder, this unit could be pretty deep.