The 2023 NFL draft is now less than two weeks away, and the Cleveland Browns still have a few holes to fill on the defensive side of the football. One of those holes is at the defensive end position. While the Browns boast perhaps the best defensive end in the league in Myles Garrett and just signed Ogbo Okoronkwo in free agency, behind them are just two second-year players in Alex Wright and Isaiah Thomas.
Thanks to ClevAnalytics, the list of edge rushers who check every box for the Browns that are realistic targets has been cut to five. Here, we take a look at these five pass rushers to see if the tape matches their athletic testing and production profiles.
I will be using analysis from my draft guide on each player as the form of film evaluation.
Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
PFF Big Board: 48
Mock Draft Database consensus ranking: 54
My big board: 67
Based on consensus, Tuipulotu should be long gone before the Browns come on the clock. However, his tape has some real concerns about his ability to consistently win from the outside and along the outside track as a pass rusher.
Tuipulotu is strong, and explosive, and plays with his hair on fire. He is a strong edge setter and possesses the ability to win through the chest of offensive tackles. However, he is a stiff athlete who does not have a ton of bend to his game. Tuipulotu also tends to rely on his traits to win as a pass rusher rather than refinement with his hands.
Of the pass rushers listed of the five, Tuipulotu’s skillset feels most redundant to that of Wright’s, who is already on the roster. If he’s on the board at pick no. 73? Sure. But I cannot get on board with Tuipulotu much earlier than late in the second round.
Nick Herbig, Wisconsin
PFF Big Board: 58
Mock Draft Database consensus ranking: 124
My big board: 68
Wisconsin’s dynamic pass rusher Nick Herbig has the potential to be one of the best value picks in the 2023 NFL draft. He is undersized as an edge rusher and many think he will need to transition to off-ball linebacker, causing his draft stock to be all over the map.
However, if a defensive coordinator who knows how to use him is able to grab him, then Herbig has big-time potential as a pass rusher. I, for one, would not force Herbig off the ball but instead, bring him on the field in obvious passing situations and let him pin his ears back from out wide. Then if teams want to work him onto the field in base defense as well, then he can fit in as a SAM.
Herbig is a refined pass rusher with a deep bag of moves to hit opposing tackles with. His first step is red hot and he possesses a ton of flexibility to attack the outside shoulder of the man across from him.
Sure, the play strength is suboptimal, but there are ways to find a productive and prevalent role for Herbig. Look at what Frankie Luvu is doing with the Carolina Panthers and emulate that role for Herbig.
Even as a situational pass rusher, pick no. 73 is not too early to take Herbig for a team that runs nickel formations around 75 percent of the time. His slot is a hard man to pin down, but the tape absolutely matches and Herbig could even come off the board later.
Given his production, expect the Browns to have a star next to his name. He is a player worth pounding the table for.
Derick Hall, Auburn
PFF Big Board: 79
Mock Draft Database consensus ranking: 60
My big board: 69
However, if his consensus draft position really is around pick no. 60, then Hall is not a talent worth trading up for. At no. 73? Absolutely.
An ungodly explosive player, Hall possesses heavy hands and a dense lower half to disrupt the anchor of the man across from him. Hall is a strong run defender with a rocked-up upper half to set a strong edge and keep blockers out of his frame.
As a pass rusher, however, the game of Hall leaves watchers wanting more. Relying heavily on his explosiveness, Hall possesses a dynamic long arm and bull rush. However, this is where the savviness of his hands begins and ends as he has a shallow toolbelt of pass rush moves to work with.
Overall, Hall presents a high-floor player who will find his way onto the field as a rotational player from day-one.
Isaiah McGuire, Missouri
PFF Big Board: 87
Mock Draft Database consensus ranking: 138
My big board: 82
Missouri pass rusher Isaiah McGuire is a sneaky solid player. If the Browns opt to wait until the 98th pick to select an edge rusher, McGuire would be a dynamite pick. Of the five guys who check all of the boxes, McGuire is the lowest-ranked prospect on my board. He is, however, still a top-100 player and someone who has a three-down skillset.
Displaying sharp hands and a shocking amount of flexibility in his hips given his size, McGuire racked up 35 pressures and 8.5 sacks for the Tigers in 2022. His commitment to technique is the draw to his game, but he also shows some explosive reps where he even converted speed-to-power against future first round pick Broderick Jones this season.
What knocks McGuire down the board, however, is the lack of traits he has comparative to the other four. The ceiling and the floor of McGuire’s game are not too far apart.
Zach Harrison, Ohio State
PFF Big Board: 120
Mock Draft Database consensus ranking: 74
My big board: 55
Clearly, I am more bullish on Harrison than most, but if he would have tested at the combine then he would see his name higher in rankings. Harrison possesses other-worldly length with 36-inch arms, is extremely explosive, and reduced his game to cater to his skillset in 2022. If the Browns could potentially get him at pick no. 98 (which is not unrealistic given the consensus)? Sign me up.
He’s not flexible as he predominantly has to work through the chest of offensive tackles, and his production did not match his talent throughout his career in Columbus. However, it would be hard to find a ball of clay with freakier traits than Harrison at the point in the draft where he is routinely mocked.
Even at pick no. 73, Harrison’s value would match that of the consensus for the Browns if they opt to go in that direction.
Wrapping up the fab five
Of the five defensive ends, it is easiest to see the fit with Hall, McGuire, and Harrison as they are pure defensive ends who will at least command a rotational role right away. Tuipulotu is likely taken before the Browns get on the clock and is not a player worth trading away significant future assets for. Herbig, while he is a player I would pound the table for in the third round, takes some imagination to project his role at the next level.
If we are talking about pick no. 73 and pick no. 98, each of the five matches that value on tape. And if the Browns select a pass rusher in the third round, then it seems quite apparent it will be one of these five.
Harrison brings the rawest talent to craft, Hall brings the highest immediate floor and a world of explosiveness, and Herbig brings the most pass rush savvy by a country mile. Tuipulotu would be a fine pick but will likely be gone, but McGuire is a stunningly polished player who could come on a budget despite his talents.
The Browns cannot go wrong with any of the five if they opt to with one of the five in the draft.
