Cleveland Browns draft recap: Who will be the biggest steal of the draft?
Defensive Draft Steal of the Year
Moving on to the fifth round, the Browns were at the point of taking fliers and taking chances on uber-athletes and interesting players. They may have struck gold with fifth-round linebacker Genard Avery, out of Memphis.
As a high school state champion powerlifter, Avery screams “hard-hitting potential.” One look at the guy, and it’s abundantly clear that Avery was built to play linebacker. 6-foot-1 and 248 pounds, Avery’s 4.59-second 40 yard dash could play him as a tight end-covering linebacker or edge rusher.
During the NFL Scouting Combine, Avery’s drills were off the charts. To go along with his 4.59 40 yard dash time, Avery posted a 36-inch vertical jump, as well 26 reps on the bench press.
Avery is stout and thickly built, and his crazy strength and athleticism makes him an eyebrow-raising prospect. He has a chance to be more than just a special teamer and specialty guy, and he could fit in with Christian Kirksey and Jamie Collins.
Overall, the Browns took a chance on a freaky player here. Built like a tank, Avery will be a solid special teams tackler, if nothing else. With Avery’s rough and tumble defensive style, he should be very, very interesting to watch come training camp and preseason.