Cleveland Browns: 2019 7-Round mock draft, Vol. 4
By Peter Smith
Round 5 (Via NE): Maxx Crosby, DE, Eastern Michigan – 6-5, 247 lbs. (Listed)
- 31 solo tackles (6.8 percent), 19 tackles for loss (25 percent), 7.5 sacks (27.7 percent) in 2018.
The Browns need to add more push help and depth. Crosby would give them a pure pass rusher with speed and quickness on the outside for when the Browns shift to smaller personnel specifically trying to pressure the quarterback. Crosby doesn’t appear to have the same level of explosiveness as a player like Jachai Polite does, but he is athletic in his own right and offers more length.
Compared to a lot of players, Crosby looks rather ordinary at first glance in terms of his body and muscle mass; he certainly looks to have room to continue adding muscle. Then he shows off his initial burst, his agility, his hands and his speed and it starts to make sense why he’s so productive.
It’s difficult to stop him when he never seems to let people get their hands on him in the first place. Slipping blocks, beating people to their spot off the snap and using his hands to parry opponents from getting hands on, he ends up chasing plays down looking like a linebacker.
If he can fill out his frame and add more strength, it should only enhance his game. For now, largely as a specialist, he looks like someone that can come in and create some plays with his speed rush or stunts as part of a talented front. He’s someone that can dip and bend around the edge.
Crosby’s long frame and athleticism makes him very intriguing, especially combined with the production he’s been able to generate for the EMUs. There’s some element of projection with him, but if his athleticism holds up in testing and he can fill out his frame, he could be a star that simply got lost in a stacked class. For the Browns, he gives them an added element to their pass rush that could see Myles Garrett play inside more and ramp up their speed and ability to pressure opposing quarterbacks from nickel packages.
Some Other Interesting Possibilities Foregone: Saquon Hampton, S, Rutgers; KeeSean Johnson, WR, Fresno State; Tommy Sweeney, TE, Boston College; Chuma Edoga, OT, USC