Newsletter: Five Senior Bowl Prospects proving value for the Browns

Finding fits for an evolving offense and attacking defense.

(Photo - Getty)

The Senior Bowl is in full effect this week down in Mobile and it is no secret we learn the most from the practice sessions. Sure, the game is fun and dressed up well for television but the full pads practice settings allow us to get our eyes on the 1-on-1 matchups, and a chance for these prospects to flash the traits that will either get the drafted or pushed off completely. It’s genuinely a fantastic NFL week. Mix in the Shrine Game—getting better every year—and it has turned into a sort of mini holiday week for the league on the off week between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl.

The Shrine Game is tonight at 8PM on the NFL Network and tomorrow’s Newsletter will be dedicated to the players who won the week down in Dallas, but for now we focus on the talent-heavy practices in Mobile. The folks down South are nice enough to share film of the sessions for those not on-site, and that lets me comb through five prospects that I think are proving themselves on the Browns draft board across various locations.

As of now, the second overall pick won’t have much of anything to do with the players actually participating at these events, but should the Browns trade down in some fashion a few of these names could become relevant. There are also selections at 33, 67, 95 and more that could very easily be filled with names getting after it these events. For today, let’s dig on the names down in Mobile.

Listen, if the Browns do end up getting traded a haul that is undeniably deep for the second overall pick, and it doesn’t come from the Giants or Raiders, then you start to think about Stewart. His name currently sits somewhere in the teens depending on mock drafts and big boards but the talent is worthy of being selected inside the Top-10 and he’s putting on display this week to boost his stock.

He isn’t going to impress the market share community with just 4.5 sacks in three seasons but Stewart has the traits that can be the right compliment to Myles Garrett in the attacking front style of Jim Schwartz’ defense. His is showing the ability at 6’5, 280 pounds to bend the end with surprising ankle flexibility but lives through his power in the bull rush and torque created to set the edge in run game.

There is refinement needed in the pass rush moves, especially counters, but he would have the right setting in Cleveland to do it and you can’t teach his physical tools. He is only in play for the Browns, though, if they move down from No. 2 and into the fringe Top-10. He will be long gone by pick No. 33.

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Fannin is a bit of an enigma due to his out-sized production at Bowling Green but his size leaving him on the lighter side of the traditional Y role in NFL offenses. There is plenty to like about Fannin’s game despite the concerns, and they were on display over the last two days.