Cleveland Browns draft interior pass-rush specialist to start 4th round

The Cleveland Browns picked defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns may have gotten the steal of the draft in Perrion Winfrey. Winfrey, a defensive tackle out of Oklahoma, was projected to be a second-round pick due to his ability to rush the passer from the inside. He may have come out too soon, as he only had one very good year at college but Winfrey is someone who can compete for a starting spot out of camp.

Winfrey joins a Browns team that has focused on defense early in the draft, taking Martin Emerson and Alex Wright on Day 2, in the third round. Emerson is a cornerback from Mississippi State, while Wright is a defensive end out of UAB.

Winfrey will likely push to start alongside Wright, but the team isn’t done making signings or trades so we’ll see what other moves are made.

Perrion Winfrey is a reason to be excited for the Cleveland Browns

Players slide all the time, but Winfrey is someone I’ve mocked before as the team’s first pick in the second round. The fact he fell to them in the fourth is a stroke of luck. He’s a very undersized tackle from what people are used to, with some believing he’s under 290 lbs.

While some will want to see him bulk up, his more slender frame (comparatively) is actually something that should be maintained. The more weight on a body, the slower it is. Winfrey’s best assets are his quickness off the snap and fast movement.

He’s not someone you want over 300lbs, that’s not his game. He’ll likely see most of his action on third and long opportunities but if he can prove to be as strong as he is quick, he may be a real good inside run stopper as well.