Browns ride analytical guardrails in 3-round 2021 NFL Mock Draft
By Cory Kinnan
Round 2, Pick 59: Payton Turner, EDGE, Houston
After landing Jadeveon Clowney, the Browns put themselves in a position to land the best player available throughout the draft. It just so happens that the best player available is an edge rusher here with the 59th overall pick in this mock draft. Not only is he athletic, but he can provide value from a variety of alignments.
Playing defensive tackle early in his career, Houston’s Payton Turner was asked to cut weight and move to edge rusher over the last two years of tenure at the Univerity of Houston. In five games this past season, Turner racked up five sacks and 10.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. With great length and good bend for his size, Turner has risen into the top-five of this pass rush class.
While Turner did not run the 40, the 6-foot-5 and 268-pound pass rusher leapt to a 35.5-inch vertical jump and ran elite times on his agility drills. Overall he finished with a Relative Athletic Score of 9.74. Turner may not make it to 59, and if he does, the Browns should look back as he is a no-brainer. With Clowney on just a one-year deal across from Myles Garrett, Turner can start his career as a rotational piece before taking over as a starter.