4 young Cleveland Browns who can stand out in Week 18

1. Cleveland Browns DT, Tommy Togiai

Another rookie who came in with some high hopes was defensive tackle Tommy Togiai. As a collegiate player, Togiai had 49 tackles and three sacks — with 23 of those tackles and all three sacks coming in Round 3.

He also happened to play one of the positions where Cleveland needed the most help. General manager Andrew Berry released Sheldon Richardson in a cost-cutting move and they elected not to re-sign Larry Ogunjobi, who joined the Bengals.

While he did have a strong final season in the NCAA and played at a weak spot on the Browns roster, fans might have had slightly higher hopes for him simply because of where he played. Togiai was a stand-out for Ohio State and with a large portion of the Cleveland fanbase pulling for the Buckeyes, there was a little more excitement when he was brought on board.

Togiai has appeared in just five games this season but three of those have been over their past three contests. He has 10 tackles over the past two games and on the season has been credited with 13 tackles and a half-sack.

Leading up to this Week 18 finale, Malik Jackson found himself on the COVID-19 list, and Malik Jackson has been limited in practice for much of the week.

That should again open the door for Togiai to continue to prove that he should be a part of the future for Cleveland’s defensive line.