In mock draft, Browns take Garrett, trade up

In Jeff Schudel’s final mock draft, he has the Browns selecting Myles Garrett No. 1 overall and trading up to the fifth spot to pick quarterback and Mentor native Mitchell Trubisky.

The Browns need a fearsome pass rusher. They need a quarterback who can guide the team through stormy seas to the safe harbor of the end zone when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter.

In our third and final mock draft, they get both in the draft that begins at 8 p.m. April 27.

Taking defensive end Myles Garrett with the first pick should be an easy decision for Executive Vice President of Football Operations Sashi Brown.

The Browns stockpiled 11 picks in the 2017 draft and three in the second round of 2018 to have the draft capital to move up for players they target. Brown in a pre-draft news conference last week said he is willing to trade up if the prize and price is right.

Twiddling his thumbs while waiting for Mitchell Trubisky to fall to the 12th pick would be risky for Brown. The Browns made a draft day trade with Tennessee last year and in this mock draft they do it again by sending picks 12, 33 (second round) and 145 (fifth round) to the Titans for the fifth pick. The Browns then would have 10 minutes to make the biggest decision since Jimmy Haslam bought the Browns in 2012: Draft Trubisky, the quarterback from Mentor High School and the University of North Carolina, or Deshaun Watson, the quarterback from Clemson? The answer here is Trubisky.

1. BROWNS: Myles Garrett — defensive end, Texas A&M.

The Browns cannot outthink themselves on this pick.

2. San Francisco 49ers: Solomon Thomas — defensive end, Stanford.

The 49ers’ preference is to trade down.

3. Chicago Bears: Jamal Adams — safety, LSU.

Adams will take charge of the Bears defense like Dick Butkus did.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Jonathan Allen — defensive tackle, Alabama.

The Jaguars have to get stronger in the trenches.

5. BROWNS: Mitchell Trubisky — quarterback, North Carolina.

Browns trade up for their quarterback by shipping picks 12, 33 and 145 to Tennessee.

6. New York Jets: Marshon Lattimore — cornerback, Ohio State.

The Jets move on from Darrelle Revis.

7. Los Angeles Chargers: Malik Hooker — free safety, Ohio State.

Hooker will police the back end of the Chargers defense.

8. Carolina Panthers: Leonard Fournette — running back, LSU.

A Cam Newton-Fournette backfield will make the Panthers dangerous.

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Derek Barnett — defensive end, Tennessee.

Barnett is the best pass rusher in the draft after Garrett.

10. Buffalo Bills: Corey Davis — wide receiver, Western Michigan.

Davis’ strength is gaining yardage after making a catch.

11. New Orleans Saints: Marlon Humphrey — cornerback, Alabama.

The Saints need corners to defend Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan.

12. Tennessee Titans: Mike Williams — wide receiver, Clemson.

Titans get an excellent receiver after trade with Browns.

13. Arizona Cardinals: Deshaun Watson — quarterback, Clemson.

Watson gets to learn from Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians.

14. Philadelphia Eagles: O.J. Howard — tight end, Alabama.

The Eagles will be ecstatic if Howard falls this far.

15. Indianapolis Colts: Hasson Reddick — linebacker, Temple.

Reddick goes from a walkon to being a first-round pick.

16. Baltimore Ravens: Chris McCaffrey — running back, Stanford.

General manager Ozzie Newsome loves versatile players.

17. Washington Redskins: Reuben Foster — inside linebacker, Alabama.

Foster’s talent outweighs his off-the-field issues.

18. Tennessee Titans: Tre’Davious White: cornerback, LSU.

The Titans want to get a wide receiver and cornerback in the first round.

19. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: David Njoku — tight end, Miami.

Quarterback Jameis Winston gets another reliable target.

20. Denver Broncos: Ryan Ramczyk — offensive tackle, Wisconsin.

The best in a weak tackle draft class lasts until the 20th pick.

21. Detroit Lions: Charles Harris — defensive end, Missouri.

Harris is quick off the edge, which is what the Lions need.

22. Miami Dolphins: Kevin King — cornerback, Washington.

The Dolphins have to get stronger defensively to go deeper in the playoffs.

23. New York Giants: Cam Robinson, Alabama.

Protection for Eli Manning should be a priority.

24. Oakland Raiders: Jarrad Davis — inside linebacker, Florida.

Davis is another building block for the improving Raiders.

25. Houston Texans: Patrick Mahomes — quarterback, Texas Tech.

The Texans are a quarterback away from being Super Bowl contenders.

26. Seattle Seahawks: Garett Bolles — offensive tackle, Utah.

The Seahawks can plug Bolles in on the first day of OTAs.

27. Kansas City Chiefs: DeShone Kizer — quarterback, Notre Dame.

Andy Reid straightened out Alex Smith. He can do the same for Kizer.

28. Dallas Cowboys: Takkarist McKinley — defensive end, UCLA.

The Cowboys lost their playoff game with the Packers, 34-31.

29. Green Bay Packers: T.J. Watt — outside linebacker, Wisconsin.

The Packers don’t have to reach for the energetic Watt.

30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Jabrill Peppers — safety, Michigan.

The Steelers will make sure Peppers is clean before making this pick.

31. Atlanta Falcons: Taco Charlton — defensive end, Michigan.

The Falcons emphasize defense after their Super Bowl collapse.

32. New Orleans: Davis Webb — quarterback, Cal.

Drew Brees is 38 years old and getting ready for his 16th season.

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ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Texas A&M’s Myles Garrett tries to get around Kansas State offensive lineman Scott Frantz during the second half of the Texas Bowl in December in Houston. Elite speed, quickness and strength add up to a potentially dominant pass rusher with only the...