Mel Kiper’s 2022 NFL Mock Draft 1.0: Browns taking WR Garrett Wilson

Mel Kiper of ESPN released his first mock draft of the year on Wednesday. We thought the Browns would be Super Bowl contenders at the beginning of the season, and yet, the team nearly finished with a Top-10 pick in the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. One thing you can say is that Cleveland benefits from the fact that a lot of teams were mediocre this season, bumping their draft position up a tad as a result.

With that 13th overall pick, here is the direction that Kiper sees the Browns going:

No. 13: Cleveland Browns - WR Garrett Wilson, Ohio State - “This was a pretty easy pick for me, because the Browns should take the best receiver left on the board. If they really are committed to Baker Mayfield for 2022 (and beyond), they should get their quarterback some help, because this is now two straight seasons in which they’ve trotted out a subpar receiving corps for the second half of the season.

Wilson, who caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2021, can play outside or in the slot. He’s a great route runner who can also run away from defensive backs after the catch. And the Buckeyes star doesn’t have to go too far if Cleveland takes him.”

Wilson would be Kiper’s second wide receiver off the board, as he has Drake London of USC going to the Jets at No. 10 overall. Cleveland definitely lacked at the wide receiver position this season, and with the departure of Odell Beckham, the likely departure of Rashard Higgins, and the up-in-the-air status of Jarvis Landry, it seems like a no-brainer for Cleveland to re-tool the receiver position and follow the lead that the Bengals took this past offseason.

What would you think if the Browns landed Wilson with their first-round pick?