Browns Senior Bowl Takeaways: Defense
The NFL Draft process is full swing with the completion of the All Star games and the Reese's Senior Bowl in particular showcased a number of defensive options that could be appealing to the Cleveland Browns.
In addition to reviewing how some players the Browns might be targeting this week fared this week, there are some comps which might help to inform where they might be selected and some athletic benchmarks to hit at the NFL Scouting Combine and Pro Day.
Isaiah Foskey, EDGE Notre Dame
Foskey looks the part of what teams want in their edge rushers. He didn't really play like a first round pick this week. However, in the one day Ohio State tackle Dawand Jones participated, no one was better against him than Foskey.
There are still questions as to why his 2021 tape looked so much better than 2022. Some of it was undoubtedly how the defense changed at Notre Dame, asking him to play inline more than in previous seasons. He also tried to utilize more power.
Coming off of this week, there's more pressure for Foskey to deliver in athletic testing. In particular, his three-cone and shuttle times will be interesting in measuring his functional agility.
Foskey's build is similar to Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars. That might be a good aiming point for his athletic testing. Foskey has flashed the type of talent that saw Allen drafted 7th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft. Foskey's got to showcase that on a snap to snap basis.
Derick Hall, EDGE Auburn
Hall wasn't dominant, but he held his own during the week with his share of highlights. What stands out with Hall is his strength. Whether he's trying to hold up against the run or rushing the passer, he's a powerful player. Physical strength combined with excellent leverage allows him to cause opponents problems.
His 34' 3/8" arms are a problem. Hall is strong enough to jolt opponents and he uses a long arm to drive opponents back into the quarterback or set up a counter move. In one rep at the Senior Bowl against Matthew Bergeron of Syracuse, he gets into his chest, extends his left arm to then clubs him with his right, knocking him to the ground.
Hall is built like a condor. It's not just that he has long arms. He's also got a broad build. His 83" wingspan is almost eight inches longer than his height.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, one of the players the Browns were interested in was Azeez Ojulari, an edge rusher out of Georgia. Ojulari measured 6'2 1/4" 249 with 34 1/2" arms and an 82 1/2" wingspan. That could prove an interesting comparison in terms of how Hall performs in athletic testing, assuming he takes part. Is that something that would interest Browns defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz? Time will tell.
Andre Carter II, EDGE Army
If your only exposure to Carter was the Senior Bowl week, you're probably wondering why he was such a heralded prospect. It was a difficult week for the Cadet as he struggled to deal with the physicality of the talent there. He did mix in some wins showcasing what he might be able to offer at the next level.
Carter is quick, can fly up the field and cross up blockers. He's got great length for the position as well. He's just not ready for prime time yet and this helped to illustrate why talk of the second round seems iffy.
Carter's week was reminiscent of former Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Michael Johnson, who played collegiately at Georgia Tech. Johnson was a flashy pass rusher with length and speed, but had ugly clips where he'd be single blocked and escorted out of the club by tight ends.
That lack of strength had some people write him off entirely. Johnson, 6'6 7/8" with 34 3/8" arms, was drafted in the third round by the Bengals and recorded 44.5 sacks in his career including a season-high of 11.5.
Not only will it be interesting to see how Carter tests, but what he weighs when he tests. Carter's a project of sorts, but a team like the Browns could find him intriguing because he can fly up the field and attack the quarterback with speed, trying to build on that in the next few seasons.
Keeanu Benton, DT Wisconsin
It wasn't a surprise to see Benton fare well at the Senior Bowl, drawing rave reviews throughout the week. However, Benton could end up getting selected earlier in the draft if teams view him as a 3-tech.
At Wisconsin, Benton played the nose and he had good production. Personally, I think Benton could be a good three on run downs, but in obvious passing situations, he's either going to play from the nose or not be on the field at all.
The fact that Benton fared well in itself may not mean as much as some might expect. Travis Jones dominated last year's Senior Bowl week. It looked easy for him. He followed that up with a strong athletic profile at the NFL Scouting Combine. And up until the of the draft, the expectation was that he could go in the late first round or second part. That was in a terrible defensive tackle class.
Jones went 76th overall in the third round. That doesn't mean Benton is destined to go in the third round, but in a much better class for defensive tackle talent, Benton might not get the boost that some could project.
If teams look at Benton as a three, B.J. Hill of the Cincinnati Bengals may prove to be a good comp. Hill was a third round pick in 2018, selected 69th overall.
Adetomiwa Adebawore, DL Northwestern
Adebawore is a player who forced people to notice him throughout the week. His intensity and overall performance is going to force teams to go back and look at his tape to check if it rings true there.
Adebwore has a unique build. He's short by defensive end standards at 6'1 5/8", but his length helps to mitigate concerns over his height. His wingspan is 6'10 1/8" and Adebawore takes full advantage.
Adebawore does a nice job with his leverage and pad level, able to drive opponents backward. He's quick and able to cross the face of opponents as well. For a team like the Browns, who have a more traditional ends like Myles Garrett and Alex Wright, they may not have many reps for Adebawore on the outside and simply make him a full time interior player. He's already best suited to rush from the interior. There may be teams that look at him as a base end, but the Browns are probably not one of them.
Adebawore is eerily similar to Osa Odigizhuwa of the Dallas Cowboys. Odigizhuwa played end at UCLA but was converted to a full time interior player with the Cowboys. This past season, he recorded four sacks and generated 31 pressures according to PFF.
Adebawore had a great week, but he's probably more likely to be selected in the late third or fourth round. Odigizhuwa was drafted 75th overall in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft. It'll be interesting to see what his weight is when he does athletic testing because that might provide a hint as to where Adebawore thinks his best position will be in the NFL.
Ivan Pace Jr., LB Cincinnati
Pace's lack of height and wingspan didn't stop him from having an outstanding week. He was effective in coverage and excelled on the blitz, his trademark in college. At one point, Pace casually knocked an offensive lineman weighing nearly 350 pounds on his butt.
The concern with Pace is pretty simple. He has to play on the inside. If he's not the MIKE, he's gotta be another inside backer, likely coming on the blitz. Pace was great at getting into the bodies of ball carriers and blockers alike but it's going to be challenging for him with limited length to play on the outside.
He would either be lining up over a tight end, which isn't a great setup for Pace. Or he'd be asked to play in space, which will be difficult given his lack of size. The best place that a player like Pace to excel is on the inside.
Ideally, Pace would function in a similar manner as Matt Milano of the Buffalo Bills. Unfortunately, Pace is heavier than Milano was coming out of Boston College, but he's two inches shorter and his arms are over an inch shorter.
He can be a missile on the inside, but that may not be what the Browns have in mind for the position. Pace seems more suited to play in a 3-4 front or perhaps utilizes some creative fronts to allow him to attack forward from a two-point stance. That's not to say that he couldn't function as a MIKE behind an odd front. He just may be an acquired taste in that regard.
Jammie Robinson, S Florida State
Robinson measured in like a slot corner, but he played with the physicality of a safety. Some teams may be turned off by his lack of size, particularly with short arms. However, the team that does take him could get themselves a sticky slot cover option that can also contribute as a deep safety.
Devin McCourty measured in with the same size as Robinson coming out of Rutgers, but his arms were over two inches longer than Robinson's. McCourty also posted an elite athletic profile, which made it easier for him to go in the first round.
Robinson will have his chance to dominate workouts, but it wouldn't be a huge surprise to see him end up going early on day three. He may outplay his lack of size and provide good value for the team that selects him, particularly because he has some versatility. Hopefully for Robinson's sake, he's someone that can contribute on special teams as that would help immensely.
