Cleveland Browns secure the EDGE in post-first wave 7-round mock draft

The Cleveland Browns added John Johnson III as their premier free agent this offseason and now they focus on more pass rush help in this 7-round mock draft

So far in free agency, the Cleveland Browns have done well for themselves. They improved their secondary dramatically with the addition of former Los Angeles Rams safety John Johnson III — and even got him at an affordable rate.

They also went for defensive end Takkarist McKinley, a former first-round pick who has a lot of talent but has yet to put it all together. Clearly, they’re not done but the early returns have filled some of their needs.

With those moves in the books, we take another shot at predicting the upcoming draft with this post-first wave 2021 seven-round mock draft.

With their first pick in this mock, Cleveland grabs Georgia EDGE Azeez Ojulari. While it’s true they did sign Takk McKinley, he’s a player who comes with some risks which include his inability to stay healthy as of late as well as the fact that he bounced through several teams after being cut by the Falcons in 2020.

McKinley offers a ton of upside, but the Browns would be foolish to just bank on him paying off as a starter. Instead, they should continue to look for depth at the position, and they land that here at No. 26.

Ojulari is a quick defender with a non-stop motor. He’s built similar to Olivier Vernon and has a background as a stand-up pass rusher in the same way Vernon did. Joe Woods showed he could use Vernon in both the stand-up role as well as with his hand in the dirt and he will likely do the same with Ojulari.

Cleveland could also look to go with a cornerback here but with how this mock was shaping up, this was not only the best pick but it also helps the defense tremendously.