Cleveland Browns: 5 NFL Draft prospects to replace Sheldon Richardson

2. Marlon Tuipulotu, USC

One of this writer’s favorite DT prospects this year, Marlon Tuipulotu is an all-around solid player. He’s nothing special physically or athletically, but he does his job well. He’s a guy who you don’t have to take off the field on passing downs, and can anchor well against the run.

He stands 6-foot-2 and 308 pounds with solid athletic testing and decent production. He is very good at shedding blocks, which is something that not all prospects can say, despite how important of a skill it is for a defensive tackle.

Jay Tufele was billed as a potential first-round pick before opting out of the season. Had he played, that USC interior would have been one of the best in the country. In reality, Tuipulotu put together a very solid campaign, but is underrated because he isn’t a flashy player.

Tuipulotu seems like he’ll be a late third to early fourth-round pick, which is also the area of the draft that the Browns will likely be looking to add to the position room. Sheldon Day is currently slated to be the backup one-tech, so finding a rookie who can fill that role this season and be a potential future starter is a good idea.