by Linebackers
Isaiah Simmons Clemson 6’4” 238 pounds
Simmons is an athletic freak. He can play inside linebacker, outside linebacker, safety or even slot corner. The man can do it all. Simmons probably had the best combine out of all the prospects this year.
- 40-yard dash: 4.39 seconds
- vertical jump: 39 inches
- broad jump: 11 feet
The blazing speed of Simmons as well as his length and versatility shows up every single game you watch Simmons play. He can come down and stop the run, is talented in coverage and a dangerous threat to quarterbacks when blitzing. Last season, he won the Butkus Award for top linebacker in the country. Wherever Simmons goes, he will make an immediate impact. Would not be surprised if he lands himself a spot in the Pro Bowl in his rookie season.
Simmons will not be available at ten but the Browns could try to trade up and get him. Although that has not seemed to be the Browns way in the past, Simmons is worth the effort. The Detroit Lions at three are a team that might be interested in trading down; so swapping picks as well as giving them a future first and maybe Olivier Vernon might be worth some consideration. Simmons is incredible and worth the effort of trading up.
Kenneth Murray Oklahoma 6’2” 241 pounds
When thinking of Oklahoma, strong defense does not quickly come to mind. Murray appeared to be the whole defense for the Sooners last year because he was flying around the field. Seemed like he was making the tackle nearly every play.
The crazy part is that Murray’s tackles were down this past season with 102 stops. As a sophomore, Murray was third in the FBS with 155 tackles. A tackling machine would be a nice feature to have next to Mack Wilson. Murray also performed well at the combine.
- 40-yard dash: 4.52 seconds
- vertical jump: 38 inches
- broad jump: 10-feet-7-inches
- 225 lb bench press: 21 reps
Murray will likely be selected in the first round so if the Browns decide to trade down from ten, they could probably still grab him later in the first. If the Browns sit at ten and take another top prospect then see Murray sliding close to the second round, it might be worth considering a trade back into the first round. Expect Murray to have a long, successful NFL career.
Malik Harrison Ohio State 6’3” 247 pounds
Harrison could go anywhere from the second round to the fourth round. Earlier in his Ohio State career he still had plenty to improve on for upcoming seasons. His final season for the Buckeyes showed that he can be a quality NFL linebacker.
He finished the year as a third-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten after being the team’s leading tackler with 75 and also grabbing 4.5 sacks. Harrison is extremely aggressive against the run and delivers big hits near the line of scrimmage. If he can continue to improve on angles and limit getting sucked in against play action, then he will be a good NFL starter.
His numbers from the combine will not wow people but they are exactly where a linebacker should fall. He also looked smooth through the drills.
- 40-yard dash: 4.66 seconds
- vertical jump: 36 inches
- broad jump: 10-feet-1-inch
- 3 cone drill: 6.83 seconds
- 20-yard shuttle: 4.32 seconds
If Harrison manages to get to the middle of the third round, the Browns should absolutely consider keeping Harrison in the state of Ohio.
