Cleveland Browns 2017 Senior Bowl Notes: Defense
The 2017 Senior Bowl featured a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball, which is exactly where the Cleveland Browns need the most help.
The Cleveland Browns had a week to coach the South Team at the Senior Bowl, which featured a ton of talent on the defensive side of the ball. A number of them could be options in the 2017 NFL Draft, where the Browns have picks early and often.
Tanzel Smart of Tulane was one of the most impressive players all week. The matchup between he and Ethan Pocic was the most fun to watch, especially in the pit, pinning an offensive lineman and pass rusher in a 1-on-1 matchup. Smart showed agility and power on the inside, playing both the nose and 3-tech. Short and wide, Smart takes up a lot of space, knows how to clog up the middle and get into the backfield.
Carlos Watkins was somewhat invisible until the last day of practice where he started showing his immense talent. That is really the question with Watkins. Despite excellent production, he’s viewed as more of a splash player than a consistent threat.
Thursday, Watkins utilized his power more, going right at opponents and taking the fight to them. The rest of the week, he seemed to try to go around blockers in the pit drill especially. It’s possible that Watkins was a little worn down from the long season he had at Clemson and that’s why he wasn’t as good as some might have expected.
Larry Ogunjobi is massive from the waist down. He has terrific power and played the run well, but lacks production when it comes to the pass rush. Ogunjobi is light on his feet and should test well, so there’s should be a good amount to work with and mold.
The Browns had their hands on Smart and Watkins, so they have more insight with them than a player like Ogunjobi. Nevertheless, all three are players that make sense to be on their radar for the draft.
Jan 25, 2017; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad defensive end Chris Wormley of Michigan (43) participates in a drill during Senior Bowl practice at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports
Chris Wormley is simply enormous. Everything about him is big, including his head. On the field, Wormley is an effective run defender, but always seems to underwhelm as a pass rusher. He flashes but there always seems to be something missing. He should test well, so teams will determine if they feel like they can him through that wall.
Eddie Vanderdoes of UCLA got better and better as the week progressed, looking healthy again for the first time since he suffered an ACL tear. Thursday in particular, Vanderdoes was a consistent problem for opponents, winning with power but using quickness to keep opponents honest. The medical testing at the combine will be critical for Vanderdoes.
Stevie Tu’ikolovatu of USC was effective all week. At 350 pounds, he was an earth mover. The only reason he’s not a bigger topic of discussion is because of his age. He will turn 26 in June, so he may not get drafted at all. If he does, it will be late.
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Tanoh Kpassagnon was the most impressive player there in terms of how he looked at the weigh-in. At 6-7, 280 pounds he was ripped. The Villanova standout showed his speed and power, but pad level is a concern. When he played too high, he got beat. The other issue that Kpassagnon has to improve is his hand usage.
With the switch to Gregg Williams as defensive coordinator, it seems less likely Kpassagnon is on the Browns’ radar. He could play a 5-tech or a base end and he may go earlier than the Browns would want to spend a pick to get, especially if they take Myles Garrett with the top pick. Kpassagnon could get picked on Day 2 of the draft.
Keionta Davis of Chattanooga was good all week and was virtually unblockable the first day of practice.. He looked like the same player that caused all kinds of problems for Alabama in their game this year. Davis has the build of a base end and is going to attractive for teams that want to stay in an even front.
Ohio University defense end Tarrell Basham had a great week. He was an impactful pass rusher and effective against the run. He was tried in linebacker drills and struggled to flip his hips in coverage, but it allowed him to show his overall speed. The issue for Basham is teams figuring out why his production was limited. If teams like what they see on tape and his athleticism, he might go as high as the third round.
Jordan Willis of Kansas State is extremely fundamentally sound. Some will argue he doesn’t have flexibility to bend, but he has deceptive speed because of his long strides and is excellent with using his hands to defeat opponents.
He has become one of the more polarizing edge prospects in this class with some talk of him as a top 50 pick while some wouldn’t touch him at all. Willis’s athletic testing will result in a lot of draft media declaring victory one way or the other.
Derek Rivers of Youngstown State was very impressive. His agility and flexibility make him dangerous. He is able to sink his hips and win with leverage, agility and convert speed to power. He kept opponents guessing all week as a pass rusher. If he tests like he should, Rivers could end up being a Day 2 pick.
Tyus Bowser of Houston was as remarkable a physical specimen as there was in Mobile. He showed pretty good strength and athleticism all week. Reasonably productive at Houston, this week may force people to go back and take another look at his tape to see if they missed something.
Jan 28, 2017; Mobile, AL, USA; South squad running back Donnel Pumphrey of San Diego State (19) runs the ball against North squad outside linebacker Vince Biegel of Wisconsin (47) during the first quarter of the 2017 Senior Bowl at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Glenn Andrews-USA TODAY Sports
Vince Biegel took control as a vocal leader for the North team on defense this week, although there was a lot more swearing than one would expect from an LDS member. Biegel is similar to current Cleveland Brown and fellow Wisconsin Badger Joe Schobert in what he brings to the table.
Haason Reddick of Temple had one of the best weeks of anyone. The hybrid he played allowed him to open eyes with how much he showed in coverage, even if he wasn’t clean in doing it. Reddick still has ability as a pass rusher, but he looks like he could be a 3-down linebacker at the next level.
Plenty of fans of the Browns will find Reddick an attractive prospect and they should. The problem is that Reddick is probably going to go much earlier than the Browns would want, especially since they are only going to have two linebackers on the field most of the time in Chris Kirksey and Jamie Collins. Reddick would be a luxury for where he’ll be selected.
Alex Anzalone of Florida was impressive all week. Run or pass, he showed a good deal of ability and has the size NFL teams want at the position at 6-3, 240 pounds. The problem for Anzalone is he’s struggled to stay healthy his entire career and while he was excellent in Mobile, that’s the big question mark for him.
Duke Riley’s LSU career was largely underwhelming. He had a decent senior season and a nice game against Alabama. Still, if the Browns want to add a later round linebacker with speed that could play on special teams or offer some help in coverage, Riley is pretty athletic.
Jordan Herdman of Simon Fraser might have been one of the most pleasant surprises in Mobile. He’s short and dense and showed far more in coverage than many expected. He was expected to be a tough run defender given his prowess as a tackler, setting the record for the GNAC with 428.
Ben Boulware was always going to struggle in this format. He isn’t terribly athletic and he struggles in coverage. He’s more suited to be a run defender and he’s not terribly big for that role. He looks like a late draft pick if he’s drafted at all.
Tre’Davious White had a good week from the weigh-in to the practices. White got lost a bit in the shuffle with the group of talented corners, but the Senior Bowl allowed him to remind evaluators why he’s a legitimate first-round talent. Not only does he have good size and speed, he had the best hips of any defensive back at the Senior Bowl.
When asked what he wanted to prove this week, Damontee Kazee said he was focused on showing teams he could press because he played almost exclusively off the line of scrimmage at San Diego State. He spent the entire week pressing opponents and being physical. At times, he got beat as a result, but he tried to set that tone for the week.
The flip side of this is Desmond King of Iowa. Many will say he had a bad week and it’s not unfair. The frustration with watching King is that he’s an ideal fit for Cover-2. He’s physical at the line of scrimmage, can jam and make plays behind the line of scrimmage.
That player never showed up in Mobile. King played off and was awkward trying to play in coverage. He would have been better off just being himself and trying to beat up opponents. Sure, he probably would have gotten beat a few times going that route, but he would’ve looked like himself which is an attractive prospect for teams that like Cover-2. Instead, he just looked like a fish out of water.
Rasul Douglas had a great week the second he measured in at a legit 6-2, 204 pounds. He has more than adequate hips to do the job even if he is a bit stiff. Douglas had a pretty solid week and for teams that love tall corners with a big wingspan, Douglas might be the top player.
Jourdan Lewis of Michigan measured in at 5-10, 188 pounds, which is higher than most expected. Many had relegated him to the slot based on that fact, but Lewis’ tape is better than a lot of corners. If he tests well at that size, he might be a surprise with how early he ends up going.
Ezra Robinson of Tennessee State struggled and it was largely due to the fact that he let opponents dictate the action. His feet were in cement while he tried to diagnose opposing routes and he tended to let receivers beat him to the punch on contact.
Lorenzo Jerome of St. Francis admitted he was a little bit nervous the first day of practice. He was double catching some passes and just wasn’t quite comfortable. The rest of the week, he found his stride and looked good playing in coverage. He showed he could deal with size in 1-on-1 drills against Toledo tight end Mike Roberts, finding a way to get to the ball.
Obi Melifonwu of Connecticut wowed people at the weigh-in because of his size and strong build at 6-4, 219 pounds. He has a ton of athletic ability and potential as a result, but he seems to read a hair slow. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him go early because of his versatility, but he might be a bit of a project. His physical play and athleticism will allow him to make up for some mistakes as he hopefully develop better instincts.