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Retooling the Cleveland Browns 6.0: Post free agency mock draft

By Greg Newland

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 30: Andrew Thomas #71 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrate's following the Georgia Bulldogs win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 52-7 at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 30: Andrew Thomas #71 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrate's following the Georgia Bulldogs win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets 52-7 at Bobby Dodd Stadium on November 30, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 23: Alex Highsmith #5 of the Charlotte 49ers during the first half during their game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Jerry Richardson Stadium on November 23, 2019, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – NOVEMBER 23: Alex Highsmith #5 of the Charlotte 49ers during the first half during their game against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Jerry Richardson Stadium on November 23, 2019, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Another name that should be high on the Browns board is pass rusher Alex Highsmith from the University of Charlotte.  Not many teams can say they have two defensive linemen from Charlotte, but the Browns could if they draft Highsmith and pair with defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

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Highsmith was not highly recruited and walked on to Charlotte and redshirted his freshman year.  Since then Highsmith has continued to increase productivity and became a third-team All-American his senior year.  Highsmith recorded insane stat lines in 2019 including 21.5 tackles for loss and 14 sacks for his team.

While Highsmith may not get the recognition like Chase Young because of playing at a smaller university, there is no doubt this man can play the game.  Cleveland could be the perfect opportunity for Highsmith to only worry about pass-rushing situations.  Given his speed, he may fit better in a 3-4 stand up rush position but certainly could develop into an every-down NFL player in a 4-3 defense.

While Highsmith lacks size and strength as an NFL defensive end, he has qualities that cannot be taught which include finesse pass-rushing moves and freakish quickness off the ball.  If Highsmith can get in the weight room and keep his quickness, look for him to be a breakout player.  With tremendous talents like Myles Garrett and Olivier Vernon for Highsmith to learn from, this pick makes a lot of sense for the Browns.

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