Mel Kiper Jr.’s final mock draft has the Cleveland Browns shaking up the first round with an unexpected pick.
The NFL Draft starts at 8:00 p.m. ET on Thursday April 27. Ahead of it, ESPN’s draft experts, including Mel Kiper Jr., have been releasing their final mock drafts. Todd McShay’s mock draft featured an unexpected move at the top of the draft. Likewise, Kiper’s did as well. Here’s a look at his final mock draft, though you need to be an ESPN Insider to see all of it.
Kiper has the Cleveland Browns picking Mitchell Trubisky, just like McShay. This would be a monumentally surprising move. Myles Garrett is the consensus number one player as he has the potential to be an elite pass rusher. The Browns have a lot of needs, and one of them is at quarterback. However, it would be shocking to see them go with Trubisky over Garrett. They would be much smarter to wait and see who falls to them at number 12 and still get a top-notch pass rusher.
He also has Reuben Foster falling all the way to the Miami Dolphins at the 22nd pick. This would be perfect for them. Last season, Miami took advantage of Laremy Tunsil’s falling stock last season to grab a franchise left tackle. Now they have the opportunity to add one to their defense. It’s well worth the risk for them, as they desperately need a middle linebacker.
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Kiper has Malik Hooker falling all the way down to the Washington Redskins at number 17. Much like the Dolphins and Foster, this would be a perfect storm for the Skins. They desperately need to add a safety and Hooker is one of the best ones in the draft.