Cleveland Browns: 2017 NFL Draft Projected Targets
By Peter Smith
Base Ends
Myles Garrett, Texas A&M
Age: 21 (Born Dec. 29, 1995)
Height: 6-4.25
Weight: 272 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.64s
Broad Jump: 10’8″
Vertical: 41″
3-Cone: DNP
Shuttle: DNP
Bench: 33 reps
Production: 8.5 sacks (22.3 percent),15 of 111 tackles for loss (13.5 percent)
Notes: Missed two games and played through several others with a high ankle sprain. Garrett recorded 32.5 career sacks and 48.5 tackles for loss in 36 career games.
Solomon Thomas, Stanford
Age: 21 (Born Dec. 20, 1995)
Height: 6-2.625
Weight: 273 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.7s
Broad Jump: 10’6″
Vertical: 35″
3-Cone: 6.98s
Shuttle: 4.28s
Bench: 30 reps
Production: 8 sacks (21.6 percent), 15 tackles for loss (20.8 percent)
Notes: Parents were both athletes at the University of Wooster. His uncle, Jon Thomas, was a four time 400m hurdles champion at Indiana. Born in Chicago, lived in Australia for five years and played his high school football in Texas.
Jordan Willis, Kansas State
Age: 21 (Born May 2, 1995)
Height: 6-3.75
Weight: 255 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.53s
Broad Jump: 10’5″
Vertical: 39″
3-Cone: 6.85s
Shuttle: 4.28s
Bench: 24 reps
Production: 11.5 sacks (38.3 percent), 17.5 tackles for loss (25 percent)
Notes: Willis started the final 39 games of his career, finished third in career sacks at Kansas State with 29 and tied the single season school record for sacks in a season.
T.J. Watt, Wisconsin
Age: 22 (Born Oct. 11, 1994)
Height: 6-4.5
Weight: 252 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.65s
Broad Jump: 10’8″
Vertical: 37″
3-Cone: 6.79s
Shuttle: 4.13s
Bench: 21 reps
Production: 11.5 sacks (33.8 percent), 15.5 tackles for loss (20.9 percent)
Notes: T.J. is the younger brother of NFL players J.J. and Derek Watt and actually started his Wisconsin career as a tight end before switching to defense. He missed the 2014 season with a right knee injury, then injured his left knee in spring practice of 2015 but returned as a backup later in the year. When he was healthy, Watt was dominant in his final year before declaring for the NFL Draft.
Derek Rivers, Youngstown State
Age: 23 (Born May 9, 1993)
Height: 6-4.125
Weight: 250 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.61s
Broad Jump: 10’3″
Vertical: 35″
3-Cone: 6.94s
Shuttle: 4.4s
Bench: 30 reps
Production: 15 sacks (30.6 percent), 19.5 tackles for loss (18 percent)
Notes: Rivers attended Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia before attending Youngstown State. He set the career record for sacks in school history with 37.5.
Carl Lawson, Auburn
Age: 21 (Born June 29, 1995)
Height: 6-1.625
Weight: 261 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.67s
Broad Jump: 9’6″
Vertical: 33″
3-Cone: 7.0s
Shuttle: 4.32s
Bench: 35 reps
Production: 9 sacks (36 percent), 13.5 tackles for loss (16.2 percent)
Notes: Lawson took a medical redshirt as a sophomore when he tore his left ACL. He then missed six games the following season after suffering a cracked hip in Auburn’s opener against Louisville.
Trey Hendrickson, Florida Atlantic
Age: 22 (Born Dec. 5, 1994)
Height: 6-3.875
Weight: 266 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.65s
Broad Jump: 10’2″
Vertical: 33.5″
3-Cone: 7.03s
Shuttle: 4.2s
Bench: 35 reps
Production: 9.5 sacks (41.3 percent), 15 tackles for loss (23 percent)
Notes: In addition to his pass rushing production, Hendrickson also blocked four kicks. He recorded 14.5 tackles for loss, 13 sacks and five forced fumbles as a junior. His father played football at Missouri Southern State University.
Takkarist McKinley, UCLA
Age: 21 (Born Nov. 2, 1995)
Height: 6-2.125
Weight: 250 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.59s
Broad Jump: 10’2″
Vertical: 33″
3-Cone: 7.48s
Shuttle: 4.62s
Bench: 24 reps
Production: 10 sacks (40 percent), 18.5 tackles for loss (27.6 percent)
Notes: Takkarist McKinley had shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum and fractured glenoid after the combine with a four to six month recovey time. McKinley’s production and explosion are excellent, showing impressive straight line speed and power, but his agility is woefully poor and could prevent him from having a successful NFL career.
Tarell Basham, Ohio
Age: 23 (Born March 18, 1994)
Height: 6-3.75
Weight: 269 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.7s
Broad Jump: 9’11″
Vertical: 31.5″
3-Cone: 7.27s
Shuttle: 4.35s
Bench: 15 reps
Production: 10.5 sacks (23.8 percent), 15 tackles for loss (14.2 percent)
Notes: Basham is the first member of his family to attend college. Before going to Ohio, Basham attended Hargrave Military Academy for prep school in Chatham, Virginia.
Hunter Dimick, Utah
Age: 23 (Born Oct. 29, 1993)
Height: 6-2.625
Weight: 269 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.69s (Pro Day)
Broad Jump: 9’1″
Vertical: 28″
3-Cone: 7.15s
Shuttle: 4.13s
Bench: 38 reps
Production: 14.5 sacks (33.7 percent), 21 tackles for loss (20.5 percent)
Notes: In 2015, Dimick missed six games with a shoulder injury. Earned First Team All-Pac 12 honors for this year.
Tanoh Kpassagnon, Villanova
Age: 22 (Born June 14, 1994)
Height: 6-6.875
Weight: 289 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.83s
Broad Jump: 10’8″
Vertical: 30″
3-Cone: 7.46s
Shuttle: 4.62s
Bench: 23 reps
Production: 11 sacks (34.3 percent), 21.5 tackles for loss (25.2 percent)
Notes: Pronounced (Pass-In-Yo), he missed eight games as a sophomore with a torn MCL. The son of a chemical engineer and economist, both immigrants from Africa, Kpassagnon is an incredibly accomplished student with a double major in finance and accounting.
Keionta Davis, Chattanooga
Age: 23 (Born March 3, 1994)
Height: 6-3.125
Weight: 268 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.65s (with wind), 4.76s (against wind)
Broad Jump: 10’1″
Vertical: 37″
3-Cone: Unavailable
Shuttle: Unavailable
Bench: 30 reps
Production: 10.5 sacks (27.6 percent), 11.5 tackles for loss (13.6 percent)
Notes: Davis had offers from FBS schools but stayed home to go to Chattanooga when they stuck with him through a knee injury his senior year of high school. He was named the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year and made First Team All-SoCon each of the past two seasons.
Patrick O’Connor, Eastern Michigan
Age: 22 (Born June 14, 1995)
Height: 6-4.25
Weight: 276 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.84s
Broad Jump: 9’6″
Vertical: 31″
3-Cone: 7.34s
Shuttle: 4.36s
Bench: 17 reps
Production: 8.5 sacks (40.4 percent), 14.5 tackles for loss (23.7 percent)
Notes: O’Connor suffered a shoulder injury before his junior year that forced him to take a medical redshirt. Led the team in sacks and tackles for loss this past season and has experience playing inside and on the edge.
Daeshon Hall, Texas A&M
Age: 22 (Born June 14, 1995)
Height: 6-5.375
Weight: 255 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.76s
Broad Jump: 10’3″
Vertical: 36″
3-Cone: 7.03s
Shuttle: 4.38s
Bench: 18 reps
Production: 4.5 sacks (11.5 percent), 13 tackles for loss (11.7 percent)
Notes: Hall is a good athlete and some believe he’s still figuring out how good he can be, but has good work habits and still may be able to bulk up significantly, which could enable him to be a versatile defensive lineman.
Stand Up Rushers
Haason Reddick, Temple
Age: 22 (Born Sept. 22, 1994)
Height: 6-1.5
Weight: 237 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.52s
Broad Jump: 11’1″
Vertical: 36.5″
3-Cone: 7.01s
Shuttle: 4.26s
Bench: 24 reps
Production: 10.5 sacks (26.2 percent), 22.5 tackles for loss (21.8 percent)
Notes: Due to injuries in his junior and senior season of high school, Reddick had to walk on at Temple before ultimately flourishing there. Reddick could be a SAM backer or 3-4 OLB that moves down to the defensive line in obvious passing situations.
Tyus Bowser, Houston
Age: 21 (Born May 23, 1995)
Height: 6-2.625
Weight: 247 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.79s
Broad Jump: 10’7″
Vertical: 37.5″
3-Cone: 6.75s
Shuttle: “One timed drill that Bowser attempted to complete Monday was the short shuttle, though he struggled to do so. Bowser slipped repeatedly during the timed drill and was asked to repeat it a few times before he and the rest of Houston’s linebackers and defensive linemen moved on to the positional workout.” – Rob Rang of CBS Sports
Bench: 21 reps
Production: 8.5 sacks (21.7 percent), 12 tackles for loss (12 percent)
Notes: Bowser missed five games with a fractured orbital bone in 2016. He was also on the Houston basketball team his freshman and sophomore year.
Keion Adams, Western Michigan
Age: 21 (Born June 8, 1995)
Height: 6-1.625
Weight: 245 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.71s
Broad Jump: 10’4″
Vertical: 36″
3-Cone: 7.36s
Shuttle: 4.37s
Bench: 27 reps
Production: 7.5 sacks (26.7 percent), 18 tackles for loss (23 percent)
Notes: Adams led the team in sacks the past two seasons even though he wasn’t a full time starter until this season. This past season, Adams led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and forced fumbles (3).
Samson Ebukam, Eastern Washington
Age: 22 (Born June 14, 1995)
Height: 6-2
Weight: 240 lbs
40 Yard Dash: 4.47s
Broad Jump: 10’10″
Vertical: 39.5″
3-Cone: 6.98s
Shuttle: 4.35s
Bench: 25 reps
Production: 9.5 sacks (27.1 percent), 14.5 tackles for loss (18.5 percent)
Notes: First name is Nnamaka and his last name is pronounced “ay-boo-com,” Ebukam was born in Nigeria before his family moved to Oregon. He never missed a game in his career with the Eagles and finished his career with 24 sacks and his team won 41 games in which he played.