Mock Draft: Mel Kiper Jr. has Cleveland Browns trading up in Round 1

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN has released his latest mock draft and has the Cleveland Browns trading up in the first round to grab the best receiver in the draft.

It is a secret to absolutely nobody that the Cleveland Browns need to completely overhaul the wide receiver room in order to help get both Baker Mayfield and the team back on track. Free agency will be here in less than two weeks, which the Browns will look to upgrade then.

The NFL Draft is next month and surely the Browns will look there for another receiver in this year’s class is absolutely loaded at the position. As this is written, the Browns own the 13th overall pick, but ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has the team trading up to No. 9 overall to swap places with the Denver Broncos.

With that pick, Kiper has the Browns selecting wide receiver Drake London out of the University of Southern California. Again, there is almost no wrong answer as to which receiver the Browns could potentially land, so this could ensure the Browns get the receiver they covet, which I discussed on this site not too long ago.

Kiper thinks the Browns could give up a third-round pick which would entice the Broncos enough to relinquish the pick. If I’m Andrew Berry, I’m definitely making this trade, should the situation arise. Even if Berry and company wanted a different receiver, this would still be a move to make. But for the sake of Mr. Kiper’s mock draft, let’s take a deeper look at London.

At 6-foot-5, 210 pounds, London would be a great weapon for Mayfield and a terrific addition to the wide receiver room. In only eight games in 2021, London hauled in 88 passes for 1,084 yards, and seven touchdowns. Again, that was in just eight games.

He fractured his ankle on October 30th and missed the rest of the season, which would’ve been the next month or so. He should be good to go once training camp starts and the Browns would be wise to draft him if they are in a position to do so.

With his big frame, London would be a key component in the red zone, which again, will greatly benefit Mayfield and the team as a whole. Having a guy that the defense would have to respect at any spot on the field will take this offense to a new level as the defenses wouldn’t be able to just sit in straight man-to-man coverage.

A player like London could really elevate this offense, more importantly, in the play of Mayfield, who will look to bounce back after a poor 2021 campaign.

At the end of the day, Mel Kiper Jr.’s latest mock would be a blessing for the Browns, as it would give them the chance to get the receiver they covet the most – even if it is not London – while also instantly upgrading the team.