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NFL Draft: Five players the Cleveland Browns should look at in the later rounds

By Chad Porto

NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 27: General atmosphere at the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and ½ Marathon and the 2019 NFL Draft Experience on April 27, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - APRIL 27: General atmosphere at the St. Jude Rock 'n' Roll Marathon and ½ Marathon and the 2019 NFL Draft Experience on April 27, 2019 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images) /
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FORT WORTH, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 09: Sewo Olonilua #33 of the TCU Horned Frogs carries the ball against Jordan Williams #38 of the Baylor Bears and James Lockhart #9 of the Baylor Bears in the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
FORT WORTH, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 09: Sewo Olonilua #33 of the TCU Horned Frogs carries the ball against Jordan Williams #38 of the Baylor Bears and James Lockhart #9 of the Baylor Bears in the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

Baylor – DE James Lockhart

James Lockhart’s senior year didn’t generate the numbers of a Chase Young, but the hard worker from Baylor found some nominal success with 8.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. He’s not very tall, at only 6’2 (which for an end isn’t huge) but he’s strong and fast. Clocking in at a 4.74, Lockhart might find more success as an outside linebacker who can pressure the offense with his pass-rushing skill.

The possible versatility of Lockhart could prove to be invaluable as the team continues to look for more defensive pressure aside from Myles Garrett. After Garrett got suspended in the 2019 season, only Joe Schobert kept pace with his early stats, but he even fell off a bit due to the changing dynamic on defense. The front four fell apart without Garrett, tack on the lack of positional depth and the absolute travesty that Olivier Vernon was, and you can see why having as many options to play opposite of Garret is paramount for the Browns.

The team isn’t going after Jadveon Clowney, so a combination player like Lockhart and maybe former Browns defensive end Carl Nassib could be exactly what the team is looking for as a counter punch to Garrett’s dynamic skill set.

Lockhart though may not be the answer, he is a bit small, but what could it hurt to try him out? There have been shorter defensive linemen before. Size really isn’t everything in pro sports, no matter how much the talking heads on ESPN like to wax poetically at the whole ‘…you can’t teach height’ narrative. A player like Lockhart, who’s going to put in the work, is exactly the type of player who could potentially make a difference and do so at a cap-friendly price.

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