Cleveland Browns draft profile: Joey Bosa

Bosa would be an ideal fit in a 3-4/4-3 hybrid defense because of his ability to line up in several positions along the defensive line. Bosa is an ideal fit for the five technique in the NFL, and reminds me of a young Jared Allen.

In the base 4-3, Bosa can play as an interior defensive lineman and defensive end. Ohio State even played Bosa standing up in different techniques in the 3-4. The Browns defense desperately needs to find a player that can collapse the pocket from the outside edge and get to the quarterback. In 2015 the Browns defense generated 29 sacks and ranked 27th in league in total defense, allowing an average 128.4 rushing yards and 250.8 passing yards.

Run Stopping – It’s hard to get a true feel for Bosa’s run-stopping abilities because you can only find a handfull of video of teams actually running Bosa’s way.

In the few instances that teams did run his side, Bosa was able to overpower the tackle, and keep good vision on the ball carrier to press the gaps and make plays. Bosa has great length and anticipation skills, he often times the snap well and gets off the line quickly. He has excellent hand placement and strength to stack and shed offensive lineman. In several of the videos, when the offense would run toward Bosa’s direction they would typically pull the guard or tackle and put at-least two bodies on Bosa to eliminate his ability to get to the ball carrier.

"In the above video Bosa is lined up in the 5-technique, he gets off the line quick, initiating contact and stacks and sheds the tackle to get to the ball carrier."

"In the above video Bosa is lined up again in the 5-technique, he gets off the line quick, initiating contact with his hands well inside the tackle, and he is able to push off and get to the ball carrier."

Pass Rush – Bosa is considered by many to be the premier pass rusher in this upcoming draft class. He has the perfect combination of strength and explosiveness off the line, which allows him to outmatch most offensive tackles.

One of the most desirable aspects of Bosa’s game is his hand usage and placement. Bosa is able to use his strength and hand placement to easily control the opposing linemen and push them off-balance. Bosa has ideal lateral quickness, which allows him to get an early step and effectively use the swim move, the club-rip move, or the swat move to go both outside or inside.

"In the above video Bosa is lined up again in the 5-technique against Rutgers, he gets off the line quick, initiating contact with his hands (Club-Rip Move) to the outside of the tackle. Bosa is able to free himself up, keeping his pads low and turning the corner on his way to the quarterback."

"In the above video Bosa is lined up in the 5-technique against Penn State. He gets off the line quick, initiating contact in a full bull rush. Bosa is able to push the tackle effectively into the back field, forcing the quarterback to roll-out. Notice Bosa’s ability to quickly change directions and maintain balance."

"In the above video Bosa is lined up again in the 3-technique against Penn State. He gets off the line quick, initiating contact in a full bull rush. Bosa is able to push the guard and get him off balanced. Initially, Bosa looks like get is going through the B-gap, but effectively uses his hand to push back inside the A-gap for the sack."

What do you think about the Browns targeting Joey Bosa in the 2016 NFL Draft?

The video clips were provided courtesy of DraftBreakdown.com; Football terms are courtesy of the fine work of Insidethepylon.com