The 2020 NFL Draft is still a little over a month away, but free agency has cleared up a few questions we had about teams picking high in the first round and their needs. More specifically, it eliminated urgent needs.
That’s certainly true for the Cleveland Browns. After GM Andrew Berry aggressively pursued upgrading talent at several positions on the roster, there is really only one direction the team can go with the No. 10 overall pick.
Left tackle.
Sure, they signed Jack Conklin, the best right tackle on the market. He is a radical upgrade over Chris Hubbard on the right side. But Hubbard is not the answer at left tackle, nor is oft-injured Kendall Lamm.
The Browns biggest need now remains the same as it was entering the offseason: left tackle. Now that the next level of needs (RT, safety, slot CB, NT, FB, TE, LB) have at least been partially addressed enough to field a competitive professional unit at those spots, left tackle remains the one glaring hole.
With five LTs widely projected as worthy top-20 overall picks, the Browns should be in good position to pick between at least two of the top dogs:
- Mekhi Becton, Louisville
- Josh Jones, Houston
- Andrew Thomas, Georgia
- Jedrick Wills, Alabama
- Tristan Wirfs, Iowa
It’s too early to know which one of those Berry and his crew prefer, or which ones will be available to pick when the Browns are on the clock. But right now, a little over a month away from the draft, it would be very surprising if Cleveland called on anyone else with their top pick.
