Browns Fits in 2021 NFL Draft: Paulson Adebo, CB Stanford

If the Cleveland Browns don't select a corner in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Paulson Adebo of Stanford is an attractive option.

Pete Smith | Apr 14, 2021

With the 2021 NFL Draft approaching, the Cleveland Browns will have their own tastes and board based on what they are trying to do in every phase of the game. Based on what is known about what they want to do, some prospects stand out as fits including Paulson Adebo, corner from Stanford.

Age: Unavailable. Fourth year removed from high school.

Height: 6'1"

Weight: 198 pounds (Pro Day)

Arm Length: 31 1/2"

40-Yard Dash: 4.45

Vertical: 36.5"

Broad Jump: 10'1"

Shuttle: 4.13

3-Cone: 6.69

Bench Press: 18 reps

Athletically, he has good, not great explosion at his size, but his speed is excellent. His agility is outstanding and the fact he has such loose hips at his size is particularly an attractive asset.

Production: 44 solo tackles (9.1 percent), 19 pass deflections (29.2 percent), 4 interceptions in 2018

Adebo may end up losing as much as any prospect that opted out of the 2020 season, because he had an incredible year as a sophomore and looked like he would be one of the top corners in the country, but wasn't as effective as a junior. His senior year, he was looking to bounce back in a big way but the PAC-12 Conference was impacted significantly by the pandemic and when they finally decided to play the season, Paulson opted not to risk it.

As a result, Adebo might represent a depressed asset of sorts in the 2021 NFL Draft. He offers a significant amount of upside, but the last time he was on a field, he wasn't as dominant as he's capable.

Some of this is as a result of the fact he's a wide receiver converting to a corner, so his technique and reps can look uneven, like he's playing almost entirely off instinct. Adebo will gamble, will bite on double moves and he has not been a consistent tackler.

The flip side is he has unbelievable ball skills, his length, athleticism and flexibility allows him room for error and he's able to get back into plays. His background as a receiver helps him make plays on the ball and create turnovers.

In 22 games, Adebo registered 29 PBUs and eight interceptions.

Unclear is what he was able to do to improve this past season without playing games. Simply making his footwork more efficient could go a long way in helping his game, but it's not easy to improve issues like tackling and avoiding getting beat on double moves without playing.

Nevertheless, Adebo is a really talented player and a team might be willing to live with the occasional gaffe in coverage if he's going to produce turnovers. Joe Woods, the team's defensive coordinator, has so much of his background coaching defensive backs and he might be drooling of what could be done with a prospect as talented as Adebo, who gives them the size they'd like to have, incredible athleticism and ball skills.

The Browns could theoretically have Adebo and Ward play tight man coverage and dare the opponent to beat them. With Adebo, the biggest challenge is going to be figuring out where he will get picked in the draft.

Where the Browns Might Select Him: The Browns could be in play for Adebo anywhere on day two. If he lasts until 59, they could grab him there, but it's really difficult to gauge where he might come off the board.

Published Apr 14, 2021

PETE SMITH