Cleveland Browns select Sione Takitaki at No. 80

After making some noise and trading up to No. 46 overall to select Greedy Williams, the Cleveland Browns went with Sione Takitaki at No. 80. Here’s how the third round selection impacts the Dawg Pound.

In the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns made some noise by taking cornerback Greedy Williams out of LSU. In the third round, general manager John Dorsey shocked us all by taking BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki.

Takitaki matured throughout his years in college and became a team captain by the end of his time at Brigham Young. He is notably active against the run and became a tackling machine in the second half of his college career. Although this is much earlier than many expected for Takitaki, the Browns’ front office has been fantastic so far throughout this regime. This is a chance pick.

The 6-1, 238-pound linebacker is an Energizer bunny in the middle of the defense, but seemingly has a lot of work today before he’s ready for the NFL. This pick was a relative unknown this high, but with the talent the Browns already have at linebacker, it may be a depth piece for the Dawg Pound.

In his final college season, Takitaki recorded 119 total tackles in the middle of the Cougars’ defense, along with four sacks and a forced fumble. His willingness to tackle should be admired, but he can sometimes miss on the easier plays due to juke moves and other evasion tactics from ball carriers.

So, did general manager John Dorsey outsmart everyone once again, or could this pick blow up in Cleveland’s face? Time will tell, but one thing is certain; this was absolutely not what fans were expecting at No. 80 overall, for better or for worse.