Cleveland Browns trade-happy 7-round 2021 NFL mock draft

With the selection of Moore, the Browns have filled their need for a speedy slot player who can get vertical. Here on Day 3, they land one of the more talented receivers in the draft. Nico Collins followed an almost identical path to Donovan Peoples-Jones; he was a highly-touted prospect coming out of high school, attended Michigan, and never lived up to the hype. That football program as a whole has consistently underperformed, and as DPJ showed during his rookie year, sometimes it just takes quality coaching to realize immense talent.

Collins likely isn’t as explosive as Peoples-Jones, but he may just have better long speed, and was more productive. His potential as a boundary threat is extremely high, and if he can reach it, Cleveland would have quite the talented receiver corps.

Listed at 6-3 and 195 pounds, Keith Taylor would provide some much-needed size in the secondary, and he’s a solid tackler as well. He wouldn’t be relied upon to start immediately, and if Greedy Williams can come back healthy and contribute (that’s a big “if” sadly), Cleveland’s cornerback room would have good matchup versatility.

Shaun Wade had a very poor 2020 season as an outside corner, but that shouldn’t overshadow his work in the slot and at safety, where he played very well in 2018 and 2019. He may not have the speed or twitch that the Browns desire at slot corner, but if the team were not to sign a starter in free agency (they absolutely should), Wade could fill the role as a rookie.

However, his best fit in the NFL is as a safety, and Cleveland will be starting three of them (two are on the roster; Grant Delpit and Ronnie Harrison, although Delpit is still an unknown due to his Achilles injury).

Wade has excellent instincts and processing speed, and has a fantastic feel for zone coverage. He passes off players and rotates in and out of zones seamlessly, and when the play is in front of him, he’s quick to close and is a strong tackler. He’s shown excellent physicality in blowing up screens as well. At this value, Wade is a steal, and a great fit in Joe Woods’ cover-3 defense.