Cleveland Browns: 3 Linebacker options in the draft

1. Germaine Pratt, North Carolina State

Lastly, we have North Carolina State’s Germaine Pratt who broke out as a great linebacker for the Wolfpack in 2018. Pratt was no slouch for his first three seasons and even had a solid year in 2017 in which he had 69 tackles and two picks (one of which he returned for a score). However, it was the way he played in 2018 that turned heads.

Pratt turned a corner and became the bruising linebacker his frame suggested he should be. He broke the 100-tackle barrier as he racked up 104 tackles but also found some pass rushing skills as he recorded six sacks for N.C. State.

Out of the players on this list, he easily had the best workout as well during the Scouting Combine. The 6-foot-2, 240-pound Pratt was able to hit 24 reps in the bench press, but it was his speed that stood out. The inside linebacker was good for a time of 4.57 seconds in the 40-yard dash.

Another impressive part of his game is the cover skills Pratt showed. This shouldn’t be surprising considering he played safety for the first two seasons of his collegiate career. That should entice the Browns considering they have had issues in recent seasons trying to defend opposing tight ends in the passing game.

Pratt could be a great pick for them considering how well he played the past couple of seasons. In addition to that, he’s also a player who will continue to get even better considering he’s still learning the position.