Editor’s note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
This is my favorite mock of the season. The penultimate. The next to last. The set-up to my official prediction of the first 44 picks on April 28 – the night of the first round.
Will the Browns trade up to the first round prior to then? Extremely unlikely. They already have informed media that their facility will not be accessible on Thursday night. That’s because they have no intention of participating in the first round.
There’s always the chance they could change their minds, but I wouldn’t bet on it. They mortgaged their next three first-round selections – plus three other picks over three years – in the Deshaun Watson trade. Right now, the Browns seem content to use their one second- and two third-round picks to replenish their roster in 2022.
So it should be a quiet Thursday night for the Browns. But they will be interested observers to see if Carolina and Seattle use their top 10 picks to select a quarterback. If they abstain from doing that, the Panthers and Seahawks remain the most likely destinations for Browns quarterback-in-exile Baker Mayfield in a trade.
Until then, we move on to mock draft 5.0.
First round
1. Jacksonville Jaguars: DE Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan
2. Detroit Lions: DE Travon Walker, Georgia
3. Houston Texans: DE Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
4. New York Jets: CB Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner, Cincinnati
5. New York Giants: OT Evan Neal, Alabama
6. Carolina Panthers: OT Ickey Ekwonu, North Carolina State
7. New York Giants: S Kyle Hamilton, Notre Dame
8. Atlanta Falcons: DE Jermaine Johnson, Florida State
9. Seattle Seahawks: QB Malik Willis, Liberty
10: New York Jets: WR Jameson Williams, Alabama
11. Washington Commanders: WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State
12. Minnesota Vikings: CB Derek Stingley, LSU
13. Houston Texans: OT Charles Cross, Mississippi State
In this mock, Browns would have had choice of any receiver after Williams and Wilson.
14. Baltimore Ravens: CB Trent McDuffie, Washington
McDuffie is highest-rated defensive player on the board and fills need as CB3.
15. Philadelphia Eagles: WR Drake London, USC
16. New Orleans Saints: OT Trevor Penning, Northern Iowa
17. Los Angeles Chargers: DT Jordan Davis, Georgia
18. Philadelphia Eagles: DE George Karlaftis, Purdue
19. New Orleans Saints: WR Chris Olave, Ohio State
20. Pittsburgh Steelers: QB Desmond Ridder, Cincinnati
Mike Tomlin wants a QB who can move, but doesn’t want a running QB.
21. New England Patriots: CB-S Daxton Hill, Michigan
22. Green Bay Packers: WR Treylon Burks, Arkansas
23. Arizona Cardinals: DT Devonte Wyatt, Georgia
24. Dallas Cowboys: C Tyler Linderbaum, Iowa
25. Buffalo Bills: WR Jahan Dotson, Penn State
26. Tennessee Titans: LB Devin Lloyd, Utah
27. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: OG Zion Johnson, Boston College
28. Green Bay Packers: LB Nakobe Dean, Georgia
29. Kansas City Chiefs: DE Arnold Ebiketie, Penn State
30. Kansas City Chiefs: WR Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
31. Cincinnati Bengals: CB Andrew Booth, Clemson
First defensive player taken in first round by Bengals since 2016.
32. Detroit Lions: S Lewis Cine, Georgia
Second round
33. Jacksonville Jaguars: DT Travis Jones, UConn
34. Detroit Lions: QB Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
35. New York Jets: CB Kaiir Elam, Florida
36. New York Giants: OT Bernhard Raimann, Central Michigan
37. Houston Texans: RB Kenneth Walker, Michigan State
38. New York Jets: OT Tyler Smith, Tulsa
39. Chicago Bears: WR George Pickens, Georgia
40. Seattle Seahawks: LB Quay Walker, Georgia
41. Seattle Seahawks: S Jaquan Brisker, Penn State
42. Indianapolis Colts: WR Christian Watson, North Dakota State
43. Atlanta Falcons: QB Matt Corrall, Mississippi
44. Cleveland Browns: DE Logan Hall, Houston
Absent a trade up for receiver, Browns stick with this versatile D-lineman.