Retooling the Cleveland Browns 4.0: Post free agency mock draft

The Browns need to double-dip at linebacker here in this draft, and they do so early. Selecting back-to-back linebackers, the team adds another guy with a lot of college experience in Evan Weaver, out of California. A tackling machine, he is a similar mold to Logan Wilson. Weaver is an incredibly smart player and has great vision, but lacks some athleticism, which is why he would be available in the 4th round.

Weaver checked in to the NFL combine at 6-foot-2 inches and 237-pounds, a great size for an NFL linebacker. He reminds me a little of Joe Schobert coming out of college and certainly has similar combine testing numbers to Schobert. The Browns should stack up on smart linebackers who will be able to read and get into position well, as they certainly have the defensive line upfront to allow the linebackers to flow freely and get into position.

Football is all about 11 guys doing their job. If all 11 get into the proper position and handle their responsibility, then the team will succeed. Weaver racked up tackles during his career as a Golden Bear, netting a whopping 155 and 181 his junior and senior seasons.

The Browns are losing a lot of production with Schobert, and Weaver could certainly help fill that as he has a knack for making tackles. Watching a little bit of his tape and reading Lance Zeirlein’s draft report on him, I can’t help but see a guy who I would love to have on my football team in any capacity.

Hitting your picks on day three of the NFL draft is usually paramount to building an NFL team, as those guys have cheap contracts for four years and can provide an NFL team the most bang for their buck.

Weaver is the type of guy who has no glaring red flags and will force the coaches to allow him to contribute, whether that be on the field or off the field. Any player who can rack up 336 tackles in two seasons playing at a power five level has a spot on my team any day of the week.