Cleveland Browns: 5 NFL Draft EDGE prospects to pair with Myles Garrett

1. Carlos Basham Jr., Wake Forest

Coming off a terrific 2019 campaign, Carlos Basham returned to Wake Forest and had the chance to earn himself a lot of money. He’s not had the kind of season he was hoping for, and although he’s been far from bad, Basham’s physical tools give him the potential to be so much more.

He stands 6-5 and 285 pounds; power end size with the agility of someone 30 pounds lighter. He’s very strong and has had flashes of dominant play. Prior to this season, he had shown year-to-year improvement, which was very encouraging. He may have been a first-round pick had he entered the draft last year, but with a disappointing 2020 (at least through seven games), it’s hard to see that happening.

Still, Basham has excellent play on his resume, and his athletic traits and his size don’t come around very often. Perhaps this front office would be willing to bet on a bounce-back when Basham is paired with an elite teammate. It would have to come at the right value though.

Even with his disappointing 2020, Basham’s size and athleticism give him a high floor in the NFL. At worst he should be a good run defender with a good bull rush, and his ceiling is up there with the best rushers in the league. That package will be attractive to quite a few teams. It remains to be seen if that will include the Browns.

The Browns need to find Myles Garrett’s pass-rushing mate this offseason. These five prospects all offer the potential to be that solution.