If Jaycee Horn, Greg Newsome, Zaven Collins, and Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah are all gone by No. 26, do the Browns take Rashod Bateman? — Vontae M., Cambridge
Now this is a fun one.
As we've documented so many times over the past couple of months, it's borderline impossible to find a mock draft that doesn't have the Browns selecting a defensive player. Even after the Browns added six defensive players in free agency — the latest, of course, being three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Jadeveon Clowney — draft analysts are still laser-focused on the Browns adding another weapon to the defense. We did find one, however, that went in a different direction, as Chris Trapasso of CBSSports.com tabbed the Browns to take Ole Miss WR Elijah Moore. It should be noted that Trapasso has gone back to the defense in his latest mock and now has Cleveland taking Owusu-Koromoah.
With that in mind, it's a good time to discuss the wide receiver position, one in which the Browns are truly "running it back" in 2021. All five of the team's top pass-catchers from 2020 — Jarvis Landry, Odell Beckham Jr., Rashard Higgins, KhaDarel Hodge and Donovan Peoples-Jones — are set to return. So, too, is JoJo Natson, who primarily contributed as a returner but also got a few snaps at WR before going down with a season-ending knee injury. So, for 2021, the Browns are in good shape. The draft, though, is about so much more than the upcoming season, and wide receiver is certainly a spot where the Browns could inject some more youth and talent. That's why it's been fairly common to see some draft analysts projecting the team to address the position as early as the second round or with one of its two picks in the third. Mel Kiper Jr. was the most notable an recent to do so, as he tabbed the Browns to take Western Michigan's D'Wayne Eskridge with the 59th overall pick. Eskridge is among the 14 wide receivers CBSSports.com includes in its Top 100 players in this year's draft. It's yet another loaded class of pass-catchers, and there's likely to be value in each round at the position — much like the Browns experienced last year getting Peoples-Jones in the sixth round.
That brings us back to Bateman, who starred at Minnesota before a COVID-affected 2020 campaign. Bateman brings some desirable versatility, as he lined up in a number of different spots throughout his college career. His 2019 stats were among the best in the country, as he hauled in 60 passes for 1,219 yards — 20.3 yards per catch — and 11 touchdowns. Most mock drafts peg him as a late first-round selection, so if the Browns want him, they probably can't wait until their second pick. That said, if they wait until the second round or later — like most draft analysts are projecting — there are a boatload of options at their disposal.
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April 17, 2021 at 02:04AM
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Browns Mailbag: Where does wide receiver fit among Browns' draft needs? - clevelandbrowns.com
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