Since there is a slim chance for the 3-8 Cleveland Browns to make the NFL playoffs, many fans are already looking forward to this spring’s draft.
There are plenty who feel the team will look to draft a quarterback, given the whole Deshaun Watson situation.
But a mock draft by Kyle Crabbs of The 33rd Team has them taking Walter Nolen, a defensive lineman who plays for the University of Mississippi, with the No. 8 pick.
“The Browns can offer him a home that can also offer him some overwhelmingly disruptive talent around him, leaving him in one-on-one matchups in which his athleticism can truly shine,” Crabbs said.
Nolen is 6-foot-4 and weighs 290 pounds, and he is a physical lineman who seems to have potential as a run defender.
He also could develop into a decent interior pass rusher, and he has 5.0 sacks so far this season, to go along with 40 total tackles (24 solo).
The Browns’ defense, which was solid last season when they unexpectedly made the playoffs, has struggled this season, and they could use a game-changing defensive tackle who will stuff the run and produce occasional pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Outside of star defensive end Myles Garrett, they don’t currently have anyone who is a consistent pass-rushing threat, especially after they traded DE Za’Darius Smith to the Detroit Lions.
One has to wonder if the Browns will target a quarterback if they manage to get a high enough draft pick, but perhaps they will see enough in Jameis Winston, who has replaced the injured Watson, to go with him under center for at least a little while.
