Browns: Who are the undrafted free agents Cleveland signed?

By Chad Porto | May 3, 2021

TALLAHASSEE, FL - SEPTEMBER 12: Defensive End Marvin Wilson #21 of the Florida State Seminoles during the game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Doak Campbell Stadium on Bobby Bowden Field on September 12, 2020 in Tallahassee, Florida. The Yellow Jackets defeated the Seminoles 16 to 13. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

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Sep 22, 2018; Fort Collins, CO, USA; Illinois State Redbirds defensive end Romeo McKnight (8) reacts after his sack in the first half against the Colorado State Rams at Canvas Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Romeo McKnight, DE Charlotte

"Age: 23 Height: 6’4 Weight: 252 lbs 40 Yard Dash: 4.98 20 Yard Shuffle: 7.20 3 Cone Drill: 7.06 225lbs Bench: N/A"

Romeo McKnight bounced all around as a collegiate player. Going from Iowa to Illinois State and finally ending up with Charlotte. During his time with Illinois State, McKnight did lead the team in sacks with 12 in 2019. and was fourth in the conference. He only had five tackles for a loss and one and a half sacks at Charlotte but did all that in just five games.

There’s certainly potential here for McKnight to be a good pass rusher. The big issue working against him is that he’s not overly fast or quick, and his strength is suspect. If he’s going to be a viable option as an end, he needs one of those three things. He either needs to beat the tackle off the snap, needs to be able to close the distance quickly, or be able to use his power to get past blocks.

If he can’t do any of those, he’ll never be successful.

The saving grace for McKnight is a lack of depth at the position. So if he’s able to impress enough people during the preseason, then it’s entirely possible that McKnight could be on the practice team at the very least. It seems unlikely he’ll make the 53 man roster at this stage but anything’s possible at this point.

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