As the Cleveland Browns gear up to watch an uber-talented pool of defensive lineman go through drills during this year's NFL combine, there's one name the team won't be watching participate in the combine due to injury.
Penn State's Abdul Carter, the potential No. 1 pick in the NFL draft this coming April, will be sitting out of drills while he continues to recover from a shoulder injury he suffered during the tail end of his collegiate season in 2024. In addition, he also is managing a stress issue in his foot, although that injury is now being reported as a lot less severe than it initially was suggested to be.
So, outside of Carter, Cleveland will have to evaluate other defensive talent to try and snag off the board with one of their many picks in this year's draft. And, they will likely be utilizing one of their 3rd round picks on a defensive lineman to add alongside a - hopefully - extended Myles Garrett. If it's not Carter, then it'll be one of these players that Browns fans should be watching for this afternoon.
3 defensive linemen to watch during NFL combine drills
Shemar Stewart
You might've just heard of Stewart, the Texas A&M edge rusher who made some splashes in a media availability this week ahead of his workout. He told reporters that any team that doesn't draft him will be opening themselves to "hell" that he'll personally bring to their city whenever he's there. A fairly convincing argument from the 6'6" D-lineman.
Stewart would be a very good pick for the Browns in this draft. As ESPN wrote up in their latest gathering of intel from the combine, Stewart is "the ultimate traits vs. production prospect." This is to say that his numbers don't really reflect his true athleticism and talent, and his speed could land him as a first round prospect - potentially even a top-15 pick, per ESPN.
James Pearce Jr.
Pearce is another athletic lineman to watch for this afternoon. He finished up his final year with the Tennessee Volunteers with 23 total solo tackles and 7.5 sacks, and the NFL's prospect grading system has him as a 6.40 out of 10 - specifically, they have him tabbed a solid potential starter within the next two years in the league.
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Pearce has been sliding in recent mock drafts, which works out in the Browns' favor. If they miss out on Carter or don't want to risk taking him with their No. 2 overall pick, they can potentially have Pearce with the 33rd overall pick in the draft.
Jack Sawyer
It's impossible not to include Sawyer here, as he just finished up his college career with a championship with The Ohio State University. He'd be an excellent "hometown" pick for the Browns somewhere in this draft, but he's also expected by ESPN to show out during the combine. That might make it hard for Cleveland to land him in the second or third round.
Sawyer finished his final year with the Buckeyes with 25 solo tackles, nine sacks, and three forced fumbles. The NFL's prospect grading system has him marked with the potential to become a "plus" starter, slightly ahead of Pearce's projected ceiling.