Cleveland Browns full 2022 NFL mock draft

This might be a questionable pick for a few reasons, but stick with us and it will make sense. The Browns took Logan Hall earlier in the draft, and they have other holes to fill, but their compensatory third-round pick would be a good spot to take a chance on the defensive line. Deangelo Malone is explosive when he gets through a hole. It’s getting there that’s the issue. That can be fixed with time.

That’s the theme here. The Browns have time with the situation they’ve backed themselves into. Developing Malone makes sense since his biggest issue is his lean frame. If he can grow down low, then he can become a really good pass rusher in due time.

Malone was a big fish in a little pond. He was a two-time Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year. He was too fast for the offensive lines of this conference to stop. It was a man playing against boys at times. It won’t be like that in the NFL, especially if he doesn’t add the right kind of size this offseason.

Malone has superstar tendencies. He can dominate in the right situation, but he needs seasoning to get there. We’re not expecting him to be someone who can put people on their butts right away, but growing through special teams before taking a role on the defense makes a lot of sense. With how often teams are rotating their defensive linemen, it makes sense for the Browns to take two this early in the draft despite not having a first-round pick. It’s all about the upside for them this year.