Cleveland Browns 2021 NFL Draft Day 3 do-over
By Sam Penix
Round 5, Pick 153: Jamar Johnson, S, Indiana (5.164)
Adding to the secondary seemed like a no-brainer here, and the Browns kind of did that with Tony Fields II. He’s listed as a linebacker, but his ability to run around and knife through the line makes him a better fit outside the tackles, playing a role not dissimilar to what Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will fill.
He has the potential to develop into a solid coverage guy, but that isn’t what he is right now, so it’s hard to find a role for him in the current defense.
Instead of taking a pseudo-linebacker, the team could’ve selected Johnson, Pro Football Focus’s 47th-ranked prospect who seemed like a perfect fit at free safety. Grant Delpit is the closest thing the Browns currently have to a true angel safety, and 1. he’s coming off a severe injury and has never taken an NFL snap, and 2. playing him as a pure FS would be a tremendous waste of his rare skillset.
There is also a severe lack of depth in the secondary, which was the problem in 2020. The front office obviously passed on Johnson multiple times for a reason, but it doesn’t seem like the public will ever know.