Cleveland Browns: 7-Round 2018 mock draft, Vol. 6
By Peter Smith
Round 5 (Via GB): James Looney, DL, California – 6-2.75 287 lbs
- 56 solo tackles (3.6 percent), 20.5 tackles for loss (11 percent), and 8 sacks (10.6 percent) over three seasons.
Age: 22 years old (Born May 15, 1995)
40 Yard Dash: 4.89s
Broad Jump: 9’5″
Vertical: 35.5″
3-Cone: 7.32s
Shuttle: 4.37s
Bench: 28 reps
The Browns have made it pretty clear they want defensive linemen who get up the field. That’s why Danny Shelton was traded. A player that should be on their radar is James Looney, because that’s exactly what he does. Looney is a big strong kid who is quick off the ball and just causes problems for opponents.
Looney can stand up to a double team, but he can be lightning quick off the ball and help create interior pressure. He’s got strong hands and a nasty push-pull move to shed solo blocks on his way up the field.
There’s versatility with Looney in that he can play the nose or the three. He’s got pass rush ability and helps create plays for teammates. Looney is pretty no nonsense. He’s going to take the shortest distance between him and the ball and try to get there and make a mess of it.
Looney has a lot of similarities to a player like Maurice Hurst in terms of size and style, but won’t come with the same sticker price. He also appears to be a better prospect than Grady Jarrett was coming out of Clemson in 2014.
The fit for the Browns with Looney is obvious. He’d give them another high-motor, penetrating defensive lineman with versatility and the ability to make plays behind the line of scrimmage. He just happens to be a pretty underappreciated player that was part of a pretty bad Cal team and could be a huge addition to the Browns, only helping to give them one of the best defensive lines in football.