The Cleveland Browns are in a precarious situation with the sixth overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft.
Depending on how the board falls, they could be in a position to draft the best player available, however, that best player available may be on defense, where Cleveland is already pretty set.
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Their biggest needs, notably, are on the offensive side of the ball, specifically, at left tackle and wide receiver. That could leave general manager Andrew Berry with an interesting decision to make when the Browns are officially on the clock.
Fox Sports College Football analyst Joel Klatt thinks the draft actually starts with the Browns at No. 6 overall.
“The Browns are going to be stuck in this one,” Klatt said during an appearance on Up & Adams with Kay Adams. “I think the sixth pick in the draft is going to be the most interesting pick in the draft, because I think that the Browns are gonna get themselves stuck where they desperately want and need to take an offensive tackle … I could just see Cleveland doing something like reaching on a left tackle just because he plays left tackle.”
It’s an interesting point from Klatt and one that every team has to wrestle with when the draft comes around each year. All 32 franchises have needs to fill, but drafting simply to fill them isn’t considered the best roster building strategy.
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Klatt also revealed that he mocked Georgia left tackle Monroe Freeling to the Browns with the sixth pick. That’s been a pretty popular move of late, by numerous draft analysts.
For what it’s worth, Freeling’s stock does appear to be on the rise since the NFL Combine, enough that he may actually become a realistic option in the top 10 for a team, whether it’s Cleveland taking him or not.
Still, Klatt seems to think that taking Freeling at six may still be a bit of a reach, even though it would fill one of their most pressing holes.
Of course, trading back is always on the table for Berry – something he pulled off just last year with the Jacksonville Jaguars, to ultimately select Mason Graham with the No. 5 pick. Moving back could put the Browns in prime position to still take someone like Freeling without the fear of it potentially looking like a reach.
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Then again, every team’s board is different and Cleveland may end up deciding Freeling isn’t a reach at all at six.
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