Team need: Defensive end
Posted April 24th, 2008 by Dan
This week, I'm going to preview the position needs for the Browns in the upcoming NFL Draft. The following is the fourth part of a very special ho-hum five-part series. Each position will be given a draft likelihood — strong, average and low.
Likelihood: Strong
What's there: After trading for end Corey Williams, the team is set amongst its starters. The problem is the backups. Starter Robaire Smith is currently backed up by either Melila Purcell, Chase Pittman or Andrew Hoffman. Running a 3-4 defense requires good backups along the defensive line to give the starters a break. Relying on Purcell, Pittman or Hoffman could be problematic.
Position strength in draft: Because few teams in college run a 3-4, finding defensive ends to fit can be difficult. That means the pickings are slim.
Who to target: Kendall Langford (Hampton), Frank Okam (Texas), Andre Fluellen (Florida State), Keillan Dykes (West Virginia), Chris Norwell (Illinois), George Chukwu (Rice), Barry Booker (Virginia Tech)
Final thoughts: Oddly, the team has not shown a lot of interest in this position during the offseason. I still think this is likely the make-or-break position of the Browns draft this year, though. With luck, either Langford, Okam, Fluellen or Dykes are there in the fourth round. If they're not, they could grab Norwell, Chukwu or Booker as developmental players in the sixth or seventh rounds. Because they may really need a backup end, that may be where the team goes in the fourth round.
The pick: Because the strength of the cornerback position in this year's draft, this is where I expect the Browns to go in the fourth round. That way they can take the best available 3-4 end in the fourth and best available cornerback in the fifth.
At this point, it seems a little unlikely Langford or Okam will be there. Fluellen has been inconsistent, so he may not be a player head coach Romeo Crennel would like. That leaves Dykes who at times played exceptionally as a senior. Dykes also played some 3-4 at West Virginia, which is a bonus. So he'd be a solid pick.
The developmental kind of players that will be there in the sixth and seventh rounds are what the Browns don't need right now.
