NFL mock draft: ESPN’s Todd McShay gives Browns two defenders in third round

For those who love the NFL draft, Mel Kiper has been a staple of your life for forever. For some, Kiper remains the NFL draft guru while others enjoyed when Todd McShay joined Kiper on ESPN’s coverage of the big event.

As time went on, the number of draft analysts exploded including ESPN adding Matt Miller and Jordan Reid to their coverage.

Still, Kiper and McShay are the most known names in draft coverage and their work tends to draw the most attention.

In today’s three-round NFL mock draft, the pair alternate selections which makes for interesting team building and overall draft. With the Cleveland Browns not having picks in the first or second round, we jumped to the third to see what the two have going on.

Before we got to the Browns selection at #74, it was interesting to see LB Jack Campbell fall to the third round due to the limited value of the linebacker position. If Campbell is there at the start of the round, Cleveland should be on the phone to get their hands on the future middle of their defense.

McShay ended up playing GM Andrew Berry (subscriber, $) for both of the Browns selections:

McShay’s pick: Gervon Dexter, DT, Florida

Welcome to the NFL draft, Cleveland. I’m wasting no time once the Browns are finally on the clock in addressing the roster’s biggest hole. It’s a thin defensive tackle class, but Dexter gives them depth up the middle and some interior pass-rushing upside thanks to his speed.

Dexter has become a popular selection for Cleveland as his physical traits fit what they want but his need to develop allows him to slip into the middle rounds.

McShay’s pick: Henry To’oTo’o, ILB, Alabama

I like To’oTo’o’s speed at the second level, and I think his range would boost a run defense that got knocked for 4.7 yards per carry last season, eighth worst in the NFL.

Instead of Campbell, the Browns add a different middle linebacker in To’oTo’o. The Crimson Tide ‘backer lacks some of the physical traits teams will like but is a smart player in the middle of the defense.

A couple of players that could be interesting to Cleveland were still available including DE YaYa Diaby, CB Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson and DE Tuli Tuipulotu (who wasn’t selected in their three-round mock draft but we had him in today’s Browns mock draft).