The Cleveland Browns desperately need to fix their offensive line. Six offensive linemen are eligible to be free agents, and even if they manage to keep Joel Bitonio in town, they will probably need two new starting tackles.
Considering that, most scouts and fans expect Andrew Berry to use at least one of his first-round picks to get one, maybe even as high as No. 6. Nevertheless, Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports thinks otherwise.
In his latest mock draft, he has the Browns going in an entirely different direction in the first round. He explored the unlikely scenario of Ohio State WR Carnell Tate at No. 6, and then Texas A&M edge rusher Cashius Howell at No. 24.
The Browns need to take at least one OT in the first round of the draft
While the Browns could use a true WR1, and Tate is probably the best pass-catching prospect in this class, this team needs to improve its pass-protection in the worst way. Taking Tate at No. 6 might be risky, but it may be worth it if they use their other first-round selection on someone like Monroe Freeling or Kadyn Proctor.
In Brockermeyer's mock draft, Berry wouldn't even get a chance to land Spencer Fano or Francis Mauigoa, the two top tackles in the class, as they would be gone by the time they're on the clock. He also has Freeling, Proctor, and Olaivavega Ioane gone before the Browns get a chance to land them at No. 24, which seems quite unlikely.
Even if that's the case, Berry's take on his approach to rebuilding the offensive line would suggest he'd do something different. Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, he referred to the Chicago Bears and how they bolstered the line last offseason:
"What (general manager) Ryan Poles did last year is a really nice model,“ Berry said. ”If you think about it, they did a combination of internal development, veteran additions, and the draft, right? ... So it’s a nice mixture of youth and experience, and I think that we would look to take a similar approach if the player markets line up for us.”
That essentially means drafting tackles and trading for interior linemen. If Mauigoa and Fano are both gone by the time the Browns are on the clock, it would be better to trade down from No. 6 and then take a chance on any of the other linemen further down the board.
There's no scenario in which not taking a tackle in the first round would be an acceptable outcome for this team. The game is won and lost in the trenches, and failure to fix the line could end up costing the general manager his job.