Browns mock draft: Filling the remaining holes in 7-round mock

With none of the top defensive ends falling to No. 26, Cleveland waits until their second-round selection to land an edge rusher in this Browns mock draft. The player who slides to them is Texas EDGE Joseph Ossai.

While at Texas, Ossai started 24 games while appearing in 36. He continually progressed as a player and proved to be able to disrupt the game both against the run and the pass. In 2019, he had 90 tackles, five sacks, and two interceptions.

He followed that up with 55 tackles and 5.5 sacks in just nine games this past season while forcing a career-high three fumbles as well.

Ossai is slightly undersized at 6-foot-3 and 245-pounds, but he has ideal length for the position and there’s plenty of room for him to add some muscle to his frame. The real question will be how the Browns line him up.

With the Longhorns, he played both as a stand-up pass rusher and as a “hand in the dirt” defensive end. The good thing is, Joe Woods used Olivier Vernon in a mixture of the two and three-point stance, so it’s not as if the Browns are stubborn in how they utilize their players.

Another reason this selection works is the presence of Takk McKinley. The former first-round pick has the ability to start as long as he’s healthy meaning Ossai can work behind him with the goal of being a full-time starter in 2022.