Cleveland Browns draft prospects Brian Burns, Montez Sweat turn heads
By Randy Gurzi
The Cleveland Browns will have a tough decision to make at No. 17, and it gets more difficult as players like Montez Sweat and Brian Burns stood out at the NFL Scouting Combine
Throughout this first weekend in March, the Cleveland Browns and the rest of the league are attending the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine. During this event, the front office is doing their due diligence on every player they think could be on the board for them at pick No. 17 in the 2019 NFL Draft.
Offensive linemen and wide receivers already made the rounds, both positions that the Browns have needs at. General manager John Dorsey had to be paying attention then as players such as D.K. Metcalf, Hakeem Butler, and Andre Dillard all showed off their various skills.
On Sunday, it was defensive linemen who were on display, and once again Dorsey had to be tuned in to every single workout. While defensive tackle is a big need, so too is defensive end — and there were two edge players that helped themselves a lot during workouts.
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First was Brian Burns from Florida State, who came in at a solid 249-pounds. That was huge as it was 15-pounds above his listed weight — which was a concern. Even with the added muscle, Burns still torched the 40-yard dash by posting a time of 4.53 seconds.
As good as that was, there may have been even more heads turned by the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Montez Sweat who beat Burns’ time by recording a time of 4.41 seconds in his 40-yard dash.
In many mocks, both players are expected to be available, but the Mississippi State product probably makes the most sense out of the two men. Not only is he heavier and faster, but Sweat came in with 35 and 3/4 inch arm length compared to Burns’ 33 and 7/8. The reason that matters is the report that Dorsey is looking to get longer on the defensive line.
There are still other ways the Browns can go besides defensive end, but this feels like a position where a player with elite talent could be found despite having to wait for the 17th pick.
On Monday, the defensive backs will be up and the Browns could be interested in checking out some of those players as well. DeAndre Baker and Byron Murphy are two players that have been mocked to Cleveland and should be watched closely.