With a draft-high 14 picks two weeks ago in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns had plenty of holes to fill on both sides of the ball, but one area they absolutely had to address was the pass rush.
In the AFC North that features some above-average passing attacks, the Browns absolutely need to get to the QB on a consistent basis to help a rebuilding secondary.
By selecting three productive college pass rushers, many in and around the organization — from everything I’ve read – feel that the Browns certainly addressed the stagnant pass rush, but that simply isn’t the case.
Yes, Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Nassib and Joe Schobert all look nice on paper, but they simple don’t have a set position, which could hinder their ability to see the field on a regular basis.
Ogbah and Nassib certainly have the size and strength to make it work on the edge, but in terms of pass rushing in the NFL, I’m not sure they have the arsenal of moves to be a consistent threat.
Then when you add into the picture their lack of an identity position-wise, it makes it harder and harder to comprehend just how the Browns addressed the pass rush in the draft.
Based on reports from ClevelandBrowns.com, Ogbah is set to make the move to 3-4 outside linebacker, which is a far stretch from what he did at Oklahoma State, often moving around all over the line of scrimmage. Now, he’ll be playing out of position in the NFL while being asked to do something he’s never really done before: rush the passer standing up.
With Nassib, he’ll move from a 4-3 defensive end at Penn State to a 3-4 5-tech defensive end in Cleveland, which is another big jump any way that you look at it.
At Penn State, Nassib wasn’t asked to do much against the run simply because of the guys next to him — Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel.
Now, Nassib will have to learn the 5-tech and add some weight, allowing him to hold up in the NFL against the run.
Considering who was on the board at the time the Browns made these two picks, it’s quite puzzling as to why Cleveland went with Ogbah and Nassib.
At No. 32 overall to start the second round, Cleveland could have had Noah Spence, arguably the best pass rusher in the draft, along with guys like Shilique Calhoun, Yannick Ngakoue, Bronson Kaufusi and Kyler Fackrell, who all can play 3-4 OLB without the long learning curve likely coming for Ogbah.
It’s very strange why the Browns went in the direction that they did with Ogbah and Nassib in the second and third round, but there has to be a plan in place.
It’s not secret that defensive coordinator loves to get after the QB, so it’s not hard to understand why the franchise went after productive pros, but it’s really confusing as to why they didn’t go with legitimate fits into the makeup of the defense.
Schobert is a good fit for the 3-4 because he can play on the edge or inside, but I just don’t feel as if he’s going to a good NFL pro because of size and athleticism issues.
The Browns are a in a position where they can’t avoid misses early in the draft during their rebuild under Sashi Brown, Hue Jackson and Paul DePodesta.
With the two picks in the second and third round, it sure looks like Ogbah and Nassib could be two costly misses early in the draft.
