3 Senior Bowl defensive tackle standouts the Cleveland Browns should target

The Senior Bowl practices have given us a better look at several prospects and these three names should be on the Cleveland Browns radar

This week in Mobile, Alabama, the Reese’s Senior Bowl practices took place. While it might not draw a lot of viewers, the Senior Bowl is a great opportunity for prospects to show off their skills while working with NFL coaches.

The Cleveland Browns sent offensive quality control coach Ashton Grant and 2022 Bill Willis Diversity Coaching Fellow Israel Woolfork to the event. While they were coaching offensive players, Cleveland should be giving extra attention to the defensive side of the ball.

With that being said, we look at three defensive tackles that stood out during the three practices and should be on the Browns radar.

3 Senior Bowl DT standouts the Cleveland Browns should target

3. Karl Brooks, DT, Bowling Green

Players who can make the biggest leap at the Senior Bowl are the ones who didn’t spend Saturday in the spotlight. That’s the case for Karl Brooks, a fifth-year senior from Bowling Green.

Brooks was solid for the Falcons and finished with 18 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks in 2022, which is impressive when playing an interior position for most of his snaps. He did line up on the edge at times but coming into the week at 303 pounds means his future is in the middle.

Still, the biggest question mark was how he would hold up against elite talent, and in Mobile, he showed he can do this just fine. He showed a quick burst off the line and has powerful hands. What’s most impressive though was his bull rush, which constantly pushed his man back.

Brooks might not be an instant starter but he’s proving to be worth a flier should he be around during day three.

2. Adetomiwa Adebawore, DT, Northwestern

Another name that’s been heard a lot during the Senior Bowl practices is Adetomiwa Adebawore from Northwestern. Cleveland had success recently taking Greg Newsome from this same program with a first-round pick in 2021 and it wouldn’t be a bad idea to reunite Adebawore with his fellow Wildcat.

Adebawore isn’t the biggest defender at 6-foot-2 and roughly 280 pounds but he proved he can still cause problems with his high motor as well as the versatility to play multiple positions on the line. And according to Jacob Roach of Browns Wire, he was the biggest winner during the second day of practices.

"“There was not a bigger winner from the second day of Senior Bowl practices than the Northwestern defensive lineman. Adebawore put his sheer power on full display as he routinely pushed pockets and dominated in 1-on-1s. He even busted out a couple of pass rush moves that cannot be found on his tape.” — Roach, Browns Wire"

Cleveland needs a 3-tech that can provide interior pass rushing and Adebawore could be that guy. He’s also athletic enough to play on the edge in specific formations.

The question would come down to where he falls in the draft. Should he be there early in day three, it would be a great addition to a defense that needs high-effort playmakers.

1. Keeanu Benton, DT, Wisconsin

Easily one of my favorite prospects in this class, not just the Senior Bowl, has been Keeanu Benton from Wisconsin. Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing 317 pounds, Benton is a powerful nose tackle that does exactly what the Browns need — he shuts down the running game.

Of course, in typical nose tackle fashion, his effect on the game doesn’t always show up on the stat sheet. Instead, his power and ability to draw double teams are what clogs the lanes while also freeing up the linebackers to come in and make the play.

We all saw how much Cleveland’s defensive line struggled in this regard as they were often pushed back seven yards or more and the linebackers were being blown up by offensive linemen in the second level.

That won’t happen with Benton, who is an explosive player that also plays with a mean streak.

Of course, the Browns have shown in the past that they want their defensive tackles to get after the quarterback. Unfortunately, this is the one area where Benton falls short. He did record 4.5 sacks for the Badgers this past season but he’s not likely going to get close to that in the NFL without some work.

Cleveland should be willing to overlook this because it makes no sense to load up on pass rushers when there’s no one there to force the defense into obvious passing situations. Benton’s ability to shut out the running game on first and second down would free things up for players such as Myles Garrett to pin their ears back and make the splash plays.

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