CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Wednesday, we highlighted the top linebacker prospects the Browns could consider drafting with the No. 10 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, the Browns have several other needs and Clemson’s Isaiah Simmons is the only selection at No. 10 that wouldn’t be considered a reach. Whether the Browns pass on Simmons or he is gone before GM Andrew Berry gets a chance at him, finding a linebacker on Day 2 should be a high priority for the Browns.
Therefore, let’s examine three other backers who could attract the Browns’ consideration. Cleveland knows all about embracing late-round linebackers. Pro Bowler Joe Schobert was a fourth-round pick (No. 99) in 2016, and Christian Kirksey was a third-round pick three years earlier.
The recent success of both Kirksey and Schobert are prime examples of why it is important to highlight a few more players who could be contributors to the 2020 front seven. Let’s take a look at three.
Malik Harrison, 6-3, 240 pounds, Ohio State, senior
Harrison consistently improved throughout his three years with the Buckeyes. As a sophomore, Harrison was a role player and earned a mid-60s grade from Pro Football Focus. In his junior season, he improved that grade to 73 and this past season he graded out at 83.
His improvement correlated with increased playing time. Harrison went from a situational player to a starter in his junior and senior seasons. His strengths come against the run. This season, he earned an 87.1 run-defense grade from PFF and lead the Buckeyes in tackles with 75.
He is also an effective blitzer. He recorded 16.5 tackles for a loss in 2019 and 4.5 sacks. However, for Harrison to thrive at the next level, he’ll need to prove that he is an every-down player. When put in coverage situations, he didn’t do well.
While he did have four pass breakups this year, he also gave up 17 catches for 220 yards and two touchdowns on 25 targets as running backs and tight ends exposed his inability to play man defense.
Due to his steady improvements throughout his college career, betting on Harrison to improve in coverage seems wise. Let’s look at some plays where Harrison succeeded as a run defender and in zone coverage.
On the first play shown above, Harrison steps right to mirror the offense’s flow and engages a Wisconsin guard. His patience allows Harrison to wait until the Badger running back nears a crease but at the point of attack, Harrison sheds his blocker and registers a tackle for a loss.
Against Michigan, the Wolverines tried to high-low Harrison but he made a head’s-up play by not committing to either the back or the deep wheel route developing behind him. Instead, he split the difference and did everything he could to make a play. By timing his jump perfectly, Harrison breaks the pass up.
Again, these show his strengths. Harrison is a sound tackler, has great instincts and can be trusted in zone coverage. He’ll likely hear his name called in either Round 2 or 3 but in order to blossom into an All-Pro, his man coverage defense cannot continue to be a liability.
Zack Baun, 6-3, 230 pounds, Wisconsin, senior
Baun was a standout multi-sport athlete in high school before committing to the Badgers. He didn’t play in 2015 and saw limited action the following season. Then a foot injury cost him the bulk of 2017.
So by 2018, Baun had experience but lacked opportunity. That changed during his junior and senior years. Over the last two seasons, Baun dropped into coverage 195 times and allowed just 112 yards, according to Pro Football Focus. He also added five interceptions and five pass breakups, proving to be a capable and smart coverage linebacker.
But he is far from one dimensional. In those two seasons, Baun generated pressure on 16.5 percent of his rushes, tied for the sixth-highest rate in college football. In 2019, Baun racked up 25 combined sacks plus quarterback hits. PFF graded him as a 91 overall pass rusher, which shows he is as talented a cover guy as he is chasing the quarterback.
Projecting Baun at the next level gets tricky because of his size. He played more than 90 percent of his snaps at outside linebacker, and was deployed primarily as an edge rusher. His experience between the tackles appears limited but his versatility in coverage and in the trenches likely means an NFL defensive coordinator will find a way to mine his best on-field traits.
There are plenty of examples of how disruptive a pass rusher Baun was in college. He had great timing, knew how to leverage tackles and had a bag of moves. However in the NFL, it’s unlikely he is an edge rusher, so most of his best plays on film aren’t really transferable.
But his athletic traits are evident and his pass coverage grades were nearly perfect. Which means he probably is an every-down player and will thrive in a 3-4 system. Despite a likely position change, NFL coaches will love Baun’s motor. The first two plays above illustrate his non-stop mentality.
After losing contain on Buckeyes QB Justin Fields by taking an inside release, Baun (56) doesn’t quit. Instead, he loops back left, zones in on Fields and delivers a crushing blow. Some players may take a little break on the next play but not Baun. He chases running back Master Teague down on a left outside zone play for another tackle for a loss.
There is a lot to like about Baun. NFL coaches will probably see his film and identify a player they can cultivate. His ceiling is a question mark but there should be little doubt that he’ll be a long time NFL starter.
Akeem Davis-Gaither, 6-2, 219 pounds, Appalachian State, senior
There aren’t many more-seasoned prospects in the draft than Mountaineers redshirt senior Davis-Gaither. In his five-year career, he finished with 258 tackles, 28 for a loss, eight sacks, 18 passes defended. He has one career interception and forced two fumbles and even blocked a game-winning field goal try.
He’s done it all and was recognized for it. In 2019, Davis-Gaither received All-America recognition, making the fourth team and was the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year. Such experience positions Davis-Gaither to be at the very least a sub-package player in the NFL next year. Best case, he’s an every-down player that could compete for a Week 1 starting spot.
At just under 220 pounds, Davis-Gaither doesn’t have the natural size other backers in his class possess. But on tape, it’s clear he plays with such force that his weight shouldn’t be an issue. He’s all over the field and is a tackling machine.
Davis-Gaither is just fun to watch. Perhaps it’s because he played against non-Power 5 teams mostly. But competition aside, he has physical traits that pop off the screen.
On the first play above, Louisiana tries to set the edge but Davis-Gaither is too quick and strong. He beats his man to the spot and blows the play up in the backfield. His ability to avoid a hold here stands out. Despite breaking free, Davis-Gaither notices his left shoulder is being held. Rather than drawing a flag, he shakes his man off and breaks free. It’s a small thing, but a tackle for a loss combined with a loss of down is much better than accepting a hold.
Then against North Carolina, Davis-Gaither shows off his playmaking skills by dropping into zone coverage and intercepting a pass some receivers wouldn’t have caught. On the next play, he sacks a South Carolina quarterback by beating the Gamecocks’ right tackle inside. His quick feet make it an unfair fight.
What’s next?
Next week, we’ll examine ways the Browns can best add to their defensive core in the 2020 NFL Draft, and what drafting a defensive player at No. 10 would mean for the rest of Cleveland’s draft.
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