2020 NFL Mock Draft: Cleveland Browns select Mekhi Becton

If there is a kindred spirit to the Detroit Lions in the AFC, it’s the poor, poor Cleveland Browns. Stuck at the bottom of the NFL for years and years, they’re the only team that shares the 0-16 pain with the Lions. And although they have Championships in their distant, distant past, they also have the horrors of seeing their team leave the city, experience immediate success in Baltimore, only to have the team return to Cleveland a shell of itself.

So who better to general manage the Browns in a fantasy draft than a Lions fan? This year, that task was given to commenter ejpenland, who will make the 10th overall pick for the Cleveland Browns in our Pride of Detroit Community Mock Draft.

Here’s ejpenland with their choice.

“The Browns are set for skill positions offensively. Therefore, I couldn’t really justify taking the first wide receiver off the board, as tempting as it may be, and with the top tier of defensive talent already off the board, along with the fact that the Browns defensive roster has a surprising lack of holes needing to be filled, this pick was a surprisingly easy one to make, even with three offensive tackles off the board.

So…

With the 10th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns select Mekhi Becton, Offensive Tackle, Louisville.

The Browns signed Jack Conklin to a lucrative deal to lock down their right tackle spot, and with Becton, the offensive tackle with arguably the highest ceiling falling to them, they now have two bookend tackles to protected Baker Mayfield and open up running lanes for Nick Chubb for the next three years (Conklin only signed a three-year deal). Becton has a massive 6-foot-7 inch, 364-pound frame and moves surprisingly well for a man of his size. He is smooth in pass protection and packs a powerful punch at the point of attack to open holes in the run game.

The downside, if there is one, is that Becton is extremely raw. He isn’t as polished of a player as Andrew Thomas out of Georgia or Jedrick Wills Jr. out of Alabama. He has raw size and strength; sometimes he fails to find proper hand placement when delivering his powerful blows but has the size to absorb and slow down incoming defenders. The fact that he is so raw is something that may cause him to fall a bit, but with proper coaching the sky is the limit for this kid, and the Browns will be very happy to have someone with his potential filling what may be one of their biggest needs.”

Catch up with all the picks from our POD Community Mock here.