Cleveland Browns: Late-round hidden gems to unearth

Nathan Shepherd, Fort Hays State, DT

The final player we look at is Nathan Shepherd, the defensive tackle from the seldom-heard from Fort Hays State. The Kansas school was where the Canadian-born d-tackle was able to make a name for himself.

Shepherd has great NFL size at 6-foot-5 and 315-pounds, but is a bit of a project. Should the Browns invest a pick in him, they could be waiting a while for him to become a starting caliber player.

Still, he has the tools you want in a late-round pick and highlights of his career are covered in the following quote from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

"“In 2015, Shepherd was a third-team All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association selection after starting all 12 games (69 tackles, five for loss, three sacks, two blocked kicks). He was a second-team all-conference pick the next season, posting 61 tackles, 9.5 for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Shepherd ended his career with a second-team Associated Press Division II All-American senior campaign, also earning the MIAA Defensive Player of the Year award. He compiled just 38 stops in 2017, but 12.5 of those went for losses, including four sacks.” — Zierlein, NFL.com"

Shepherd is a smooth athlete for someone so large and has done well for himself since the season ended by posting solid workouts as he heads towards the 2018 NFL Draft.

Cleveland has headed in a new direction at the defensive tackle spot this offseason. They recently shipped off Danny Shelton in a move to get players that better fit their defensive mold.

Next: Browns draft profile: Saquon Barkley

There’s a chance Shepherd could fit into that, and he could be a steal for them as a pick after the first couple days.