3 Players Cleveland Browns could land if they traded back

1. Christian Barmore, DT, Alabama

There aren’t many players who saw their stock rise as much as Christian Barmore‘s did late in the 2020 campaign. A reserve for most of his career with Alabama, Barmore kicked it into high gear as the Tide went through the College Football Playoffs.

Against Notre Dame, he had five tackles and a sack and added five more with a sack and two tackles for a loss against Ohio State. He also had countless more quarterback hurries and proved to be a force against the run.

In Cleveland, most of the focus on improving their defensive line has been on the edge — and rightfully so with Olivier Vernon heading for free agency. However, they’re also going to potentially lose Larry Ogunjobi and there’s a belief Sheldon Richardson could become a cap casualty.

Even if Richardson is retained, the Browns need more depth here which is why it would make sense to target Barmore early in the second round should they trade back. The only question is whether or not he lasts until then.

Some mock drafts have Barmore going in the first while others have him as an early second-round pick. Cleveland might be taking a risk by trading back if he’s a guy they truly want, but there is a chance they could land him and extra draft capital by making a move.