Pre free agency 7-round Cleveland Browns mock draft boosts offense
By Jacob Roach
Round 6 Cleveland Browns pick 193, Jalen McKenzie OT USC
As last season went on the Browns’ depth at tackle got challenged at times and led to some bad situations for quarterback Baker Mayfield. A lot of draft people are of the belief that you should always draft an offensive lineman to add more depth.
Jalen McKenzie is a natural right tackle, and with an injury to Jack Conklin that may linger into the season adding some insurance late in the draft may be a good idea. In his final season at USC McKenzie allowed just nine Quarterback pressures and surrendered no sacks. He may be worth taking a flyer on late on Day 3 of the draft.
Round 7 Cleveland Browns pick 220, Matt Araiza P San Diego State
It is no exaggeration to say that the kicking game for the Browns in 2021 was a bit of a liability. Matt Araiza did both the punting and the placekicking for San Diego State but his best area was as the punter. Last year he averaged 51.2 yards per punt after averaging 49.8 yards per punt during his sophomore season.
By comparison last year the Browns’ punters averaged 43.0 per punt and a net of only 39.5 per game. Being able to consistently get five to eight more yards per punt can be the difference between a team getting in field goal range or not.
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Araiza has a massive leg and the ability to truly flip the field if he gets ahold of a punt, something the Browns have not been able to do lately.