Cleveland Browns: 5 long shots who could make the 2021 roster

1. Malik McDowell

A very good argument can be made that Malik McDowell is the second-most-talented player on the entire Cleveland roster, behind only Myles Garrett. He was an early second-round pick in 2017 after a college career that saw him be absolutely unstoppable at times despite having practically zero technical prowess whatsoever.

McDowell then suffered serious injuries due to an ATV injury and has since had multiple run-ins with the law. He’s never played an NFL snap, and hasn’t received any interest from teams other than a tryout with the Miami Dolphins in October of last year.

If the Browns, who apparently did months of background work on McDowell, were to move on from him, that would not reflect well on his status as a football player, even having just turned 25 years old.

This could very well be McDowell’s last shot at an NFL career, and perhaps he’ll take full advantage of it. He has excellent inside-out versatility and can be dominantly disruptive if he can learn how to use his hands better.

McDowell can contribute to both the EDGE and defensive tackle rooms, and if he does make the final roster, he’ll likely have a significant role, because he’s just that talented.