Cleveland Browns: 3 Linebacker options in the draft

2. Te’Von Coney, Notre Dame

Next up, we have Te’Von Coney out of Notre Dame. Like T.J. Edwards, who was mentioned in the opening, Coney is a hard player to figure out. He looks the part of a bruising linebacker and came into the Combine weighing in at a chiseled 234-pounds.

On the field, there were also times where he looked like the best defender on a very good Notre Dame defense. He even had his best season in 2018 when he recorded 123 tackles, four sacks, and his first career interception. Despite those impressive numbers, Coney gave some scouts concern. One such concern was his lack of trust in himself, as detailed by Jon Ledyard of The Draft Network.

"“Coney has the physical profile and athletic limitations of a thumper-style linebacker, but even his evaluation in that area came up short. He’s a smart player who tackles well, but he’s constantly second-guessing himself which leads to a lot of missed opportunities to shoot gaps or beat blockers to spots. When he does face blockers Coney is almost always physically overwhelmed, despite a frame that looks like that of a greek god’s.” — Ledyard, The Draft Network"

Again, this is where the depth of the Browns could be a good thing. Should they land a player such as Coney, he would be able to work his way into the defense slowly. They wouldn’t need him to start right away but could use him in a rotation as he learns to trust his instincts better. The tools are there for him to be a playmaker, but he needs to land in the right situation to reach his full potential.