4 defensive ends Cleveland Browns can choose from at No. 44
By John Suchan
The defensive end collegiate prospects in this year’s upcoming NFL draft are deep and the Cleveland Browns may be set on taking one of them at No. 44
Some might say taking a wide receiver at pick No. 44 for the Cleveland Browns might be more of the popular and sexy pick by the team but taking an edge rusher/defensive end here at the pick would be equally attractive. Some of that decision might fall on how things pan out with the Browns trying to resign their veteran defensive end, Jadeveon Clowney.
He’s sitting on the free agency market and still hasn’t committed back to the team.
Regardless, Cleveland still needs depth on defense and could use this second-round pick on any of the following rising college prospects. All four of them could settle into a role with the team quickly.
The collegiate experience factor may come into play with a couple of players, but they all have tremendous upside, and calling Cleveland home over the next four or five seasons would be a win-win for both player and team. Let’s first look at a player I chose for one of my previous mock drafts.
Cleveland Browns DE option No. 4: Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma
I’ve shared my interest in the Oklahoma Sooner star in one of my previous mock drafts. He’s a great athlete, though a bit undersized for the edge rusher position. He stands at 6’3 and around 245 lbs. He has outstanding speed and has a knack to get to the quarterback. He totaled 19.5 sacks in his time with the Sooners.
He’s still a bit of a work in progress as many of these potential edge rusher candidates are if the Browns consider taking one here or with their next pick at No. 78 in the third round. For now, the Browns could use a player like Bonitto on passing downs as he’s still trying to get stronger and use his lateral quickness to help plug up the run game of opponents. He’s got the skill set to be a versatile player and that might be the most intriguing part of his game.
Last year, Cleveland drafted linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah at pick No. 52 and some were concerned about his small size at the linebacker position, but his knack for the ball and speed showed that he was an excellent pick at that point in the draft.
Oklahoma's Nik Bonnito has himself a quick first step! pic.twitter.com/QQZhbNLNPk
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) November 4, 2020
I believe a player like Bonitto has that same type of upside.