5 Edge rushers Cleveland Browns should be tracking as they approach NFL Draft

Browns No. 4 Edge Rusher, Mike Morris, Michigan

Mike Morris, of the Michigan Wolverines, played behind previous stars Aidan Hutchinson and David Ojabo so he didn't really get noticed until this past season. But that campaign was a good one as he's worked his way into draft discussions. He struggled however at the combine.

He has good size and strength for an edge rusher, standing at 6-foot-4, and has developed some good techniques at the position. He finished 2022 with 23 tackles, including 11 for losses. He also registered 7.5 sacks, had three pass deflections, and forced a fumble.

His poor offseason performances at the NFL Combine have pushed his rankings further south, so he could be there in the late stages of the draft and would be another developmental player that wouldn't cost much and give the Browns another work-in-progress player. But if he did figure out the NFL game, in time it could be a great pick.

No. 3 Edge Rusher: Nick Hampton, Appalachian State

Nick Hampton is another one of these relatively unknown players that played at a small school at Appalachian State but had a fantastic career. How exactly that projects to the NFL is a big question mark.

His numbers were very impressive for the Mountaineers as he recorded 175 tackles, including 40 for losses. He also had 26.5 sacks, four pass deflections, forced three fumbles, and recovered two of them. He's listed as a linebacker but is one of these hybrid players that project to play at the edge in the NFL.

Hampton's NFL Combine results were more favorable than some other prospects that we've discussed so far. He ranked out as the 14th-best edge after the workouts in Indianapolis. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 which is outstanding. His 35.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot broad jump were all very respectable.

The biggest critique of Hampton is that he's a bit small at 6-foot-2 for the edge position and also his age as he's 23 years old. But again, he's the type of player that you need to pay attention to what you see him doing on the field and that's making plays all day long.