5 Cleveland Browns targets with skyrocketing stock after combine
By John Suchan
Cleveland Browns targeted player No. 5: T/C/G Zach Tom, Wake Forest
Despite the Browns having an offensive line that has had a good run in the last two seasons, there are also many question marks and concerns with the line, especially after last season where mounting injuries made the task of filling in the gaps difficult as the season wore on.
The Browns current starting center J.C. Tretter is in the last year of his current contract. At the age of 31, does he stay with the Browns beyond this season? Bringing in more young talent on the offensive line is a must for the Browns.
Zach Tom is out of Wake Forest and was very impressive in his NFL Combine performances. He stands at 6-4 and he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.94 seconds. The left tackle and center in his time with Wake Forest also moved around the line in certain drills they ran this past week in Indy and looked good on all sides of the ball.
He hasn’t played the guard spot much, which is the biggest area of need for the Browns on the offensive line but his work this week showed his flexibility and that’s something Cleveland needs the most.
Cleveland Browns targeted player No. 4: DL/Edge Travon Walker, Georgia
Travon Walker has been very impressive this past week and he certainly could be drafted very high. Some projections had him potentially being available to a team like the Browns at the No.13 pick but after this week he could be a top-five pick.
The Bulldog product stands at 6-5 and he was outstanding on the various skills shown over the week. He ran the 40-yard dash in only 4.51 seconds. His vertical was 35.5 inches, and his broad jump was 10’3 feet. He had a good year at Georgia recording six sacks and had 7.5 tackles for a loss.
The Browns will likely be looking again at current pass rushers and defensive ends in free agency. They certainly would like to bring back Jadeveon Clowney but grabbing a talented young player like Walker to potentially bookend a defensive front four with Cleveland’s defensive end Myles Garrett certainly sounds very attractive.