2022 Browns Draft: Potential EDGE Targets
It’s that time of the year again, the time when we all argue about which college players our teams should take. The time when hope that our teams will fix all their problems in one off-season and win it all next year. I want to begin this offseason by going over several prospects at different positions I like for the Cleveland Browns in April’s draft. Let’s start by reviewing a few EDGE prospects that I think will succeed in the NFL.
David Ojabo, Michigan
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Though I don’t think the Browns will go EDGE round one if they do it could be for Michigan’s David Ojabo. Ojabo is a guy that hasn’t been playing football very long and you can see him continuing to grow as the season went on. He really only had one year of college production but what a year he had. He finished this year with 12 TFLs, 11 sacks, and 5 forced fumbles playing opposite Aidan Hutchinson.
Ojabo has that rare blend of speed and power to attack lineman in multiple different ways. What I think impresses me the most is the way he targets the football when going after the quarterback. He finished with 5 forced fumbles this year but there were several other instances he got close to knocking it loose. His get-off is impressive and he often just flies right around the offensive tackle with his speed. But he always seems to be watching the ball and attacks the ball often before trying to actually bring down the Quarterback.
Some may point at the fact that Aidan Hutchinson on the other end gave Ojabo more opportunities and that is probably right to an extent. But In Cleveland, he would have a similar situation which is why I like the idea of him landing in Cleveland. He hasn’t been playing football very long and he is an athletic freak. There would be more growing and developing to do but in the long run, he may be a heck of a player.
Drake Jackson, USC
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Drafting a guy like Drake Jackson would be a perfect case of drafting potential over actual production. In his time at USC he only totaled 12.5 sacks in 3 years and 25 TFL total as a Trojan. But the film shows you a bunch of potential you can’t help but fall in love with. When you say athletic freak it doesn’t begin to do justice to the athleticism of Jackson. He had a crazy high point interception that just doesn’t make sense for a guy that is 250lbs or more. Drafting Jackson would be a project but one that might be worth the risk.
His get-off and ability to move laterally are the most impressive traits he possesses. He can be a relentless rusher at times and his play speed is rather impressive. He often makes plays that would be labeled as effort plays because of his ability to recover and close ground. There are some issues in the area of consistency when it comes to tackling. He also needs to find more ways to consistently use the freakish athleticism that he possesses.
Drake Jackson is probably not a guy that will go in the first round and he may not even be a guy that produces a ton his rookie year. He will need time to develop his raw talent and develop more consistency as a tackler and rusher. But guys don’t get blessed with his type of athleticism often and taking a flyer on him on day 2 could pay off.
Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
(Image credit:Downthedrive.com)
It is no secret that a guy I really like in this EDGE class is Myjai Sanders from the University of Cincinnati. This is a case of a guy whose sack numbers aren’t overly impressive but they do not tell the whole story. In 2020 he had 7 sacks before only having 2.5 this year, if sacks are the biggest want for you he isn’t the player for you. His size at 6’5″ is a nice perk with long arms he has the ability to get in and disrupt the passing lanes for Quarterbacks. This is another guy where explosiveness is at the top of his list of traits. He gets off the ball and moving to top speed is such a quick time it just jumps off the film.
Sanders is a guy that is also known to do some of the dirty work, like setting the edge in the run game and containing the play. That isn’t something that will show up in the stat sheet but in today’s NFL, it is critical. He is the kind of player that can help against these athletic quarterbacks and keep them from making massive plays in the run game. Sanders is still a guy who needs to work on his consistency and production after not going to a power 5 school. But I think in the right situations where he isn’t going to be the guy he could blossom into a great player.
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Jacob Roach (@roachizm13 on Twitter)
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