The Cleveland Browns are in a unique position with their late bye week in 2021. The team is 6-6 but, somehow, squarely in the playoff hunt while still behind a handful of teams.
Their unique position doesn’t stop there as the Browns schedule is brutal to end the season with games against Baltimore, Las Vegas, Green Bay, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati. All five teams are still in the playoff race with four of the five tied for the seventh seed or better.
Cleveland has a better chance of focusing on the NFL draft by the end of December than they are trying to lock down a playoff position. Obviously, they could reach their offseason expectations and rip off five straight victories but nothing about their performance so far this season points toward that happening.
If fans of the Browns really do need to turn their attention to the NFL draft much sooner than expected, are there answers for the team’s problems to be found?
First, very few believe there is a surefire franchise quarterback in the upcoming draft. Second, the mediocre Cleveland team is unlikely to be drafting high enough to select one, if there is one. Third, the team is constructed with a chance to win now so a rookie is unlikely to “solve” any perceived problem at the position.
So what problems can be solved through the NFL draft? Time for a quick four-round mock draft for the team using Pro Football Network’s Draft Simulator:
