Cleveland Browns: 3 rookies with unrealistic expectations for 2021

Three Cleveland Browns rookies whom too much is expected of

For the second consecutive year, Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry put together an excellent draft class on paper.

Cleveland landed two first-round prospects and others with very promising traits. The team is finally in a position where they aren’t relying on rookies to play huge roles, but that hasn’t stopped expectations for some of these guys from becoming inflated.

Here are three players who have fallen victim to over-hype.

3. Tommy Togiai

A late fourth-round pick, Togiai was typically considered a second or third-round prospect, so the “steal” aspect combined with him being an Ohio State Buckeye has quickly led to some high hopes, especially after the way he played in 2020. Togiai was flat-out dominant against Clemson, and was forced to miss the College Football Championship, leaving a massive void in the middle of the Buckeye defense.

Togiai possesses elite strength and impressive agility for his size, but while he excelled as a one-tech in college, there will likely be some growing pains in the NFL. Defensive tackle is a difficult position for rookies to adjust to, and one of the concerns with Togiai as a prospect was his fit in the pros; is he big enough to be a one-tech, or quick enough to be a three-tech? He stands 6-1 296 pounds, so adding weight to play nose/shade would be ideal. He did put up very good numbers in the agility drills, but has very short arms for the position.

Given the positional learning curve, uncertainty surrounding his fit, and the amount of talent present in the DT room, Togiai may end up having a relatively quiet rookie season. His long-term outlook, however, is quite bright, and he’ll be a fan favorite as long as he plays in Cleveland.