It’s officially draft season, and the Cleveland Browns have spent the week at the NFL Scouting Combine getting further acquainted with prospects at all positions.
We don’t know where they’ll go with picks 6 and 24 in the first round in April, but we know the team is undergoing a significant, if not complete, remake of its offensive line this offseason.
For our first Browns big board of the year, we’re focusing solely on introducing the tackles and exploring the possibility Cleveland could use a first-round and second-round pick on the position.
It’s past time to fully address the tackle spot, and history says the best ones are usually found early in drafts. So while we don’t know how Cleveland really feels about top tackle prospects Spencer Fano (Fuh-no) and Francis Mauigoa (Maui-NGO-ah), we know this week’s formal interview sessions are key for potentially building relationships.
Players are listed in the order they’re ranked on the pre-combine top 100 prospect list by Dane Brugler, draft expert for The Athletic. Here are the tackles to track with the on-field combine workout for offensive linemen set for Sunday afternoon inside Lucas Oil Stadium.
Spencer Fano, Utah (Brugler’s No. 8 prospect)
Fano, 21, was a left tackle his freshman year before playing right tackle his final two seasons. He has outstanding athleticism for a player who’s 6 feet 5, 300 pounds, and he’ll try to use the pre-draft process to become the first tackle off the board.
Wrote Brugler: “An impressive athlete for the position, Fano is quick out of his stance in pass protection and has the bend, balance and sudden hands to neutralize different types of rushers.”
Francis Mauigoa, Miami (11)
Mauigoa, 20, played well at right tackle during Miami’s run to the national title game. He was born in American Samoa but moved to Florida during high school to pursue his football dreams. Mauigoa’s short arms for an offensive tackle figure to become a combine and pre-draft talking point, but he’s undoubtedly a strong prospect.
Wrote Brugler: “Whether he plays tackle or guard, Mauigoa will play in the league for a long time.”
Kadyn Proctor, Alabama (17)
The official combine measurements will be important and interesting: Alabama listed Proctor at 6-7, 360 pounds. That’s practically the size of some of the houses the Browns recently knocked down as part of their team facility expansion.
Proctor is athletic enough that Alabama actually threw him the ball as part of its trick-play package. Can he be technically sound enough to become a top-20 pick?
Monroe Freeling, Georgia (21)
Freeling is just 21 and is an early entry to this year’s draft. With just 16 career college starts, he might need some time to develop at the game’s highest level. But he’s viewed as a potential draft riser because he’s 6-7, athletic and has long arms.
Caleb Lomu, Utah (30)
The other Utah tackle in this draft is also considered a first-round talent. Brugler views Lomu as an athletic left tackle prospect who needs to continue developing and getting stronger, but is a high-upside player. He’ll be seriously considered by the Browns.
Blake Miller, Clemson (42)
Here’s the local angle: Miller played at Strongsville High, just minutes south of the Browns’ training facility. He was an ironman at Clemson, making 54 college starts at right tackle, and is now viewed as a potential late first- or early second-round pick.
Max Iheanachor, Arizona State (44)
A strong Senior Bowl week boosted the growing buzz around Iheanachor, who never played football until he got to junior college. He’s probably a right tackle and needs time to develop, but he has light feet for a player who’s going to check in at around 320 pounds.
He played three seasons at Arizona State while admittedly still learning the game and his position.
Also in Brugler’s top 100 are Caleb Tiernan (63) of Northwestern and Florida’s Austin Barber (86). Brugler lists Iowa’s Gennings Dunker (84) and Boise State’s Kage Casey (98) as guards, but both also played some tackle snaps during Senior Bowl week.
Casey was a full-time left tackle in college and gave up his final year of eligibility to pursue an NFL career. At the Senior Bowl, he told The Athletic that he’s most comfortable at tackle but would be willing to play any position at the next level.
Two other prospects to know as potential third-day fits for the Browns if they take a first-round tackle and want to add another late.
Markel Bell, Miami
He’s huge — think Dawand Jones-type size and maybe officially 6-8. Bell was Miami’s left tackle the last two seasons, while Mauigoa played on the right side. Bell played in the Senior Bowl just a week after Miami played in the national title game, showing he’s not afraid of competition. Teams will view him as a left tackle prospect.
Dametrious Crownover, Texas A&M
Crownover checked in at 6-7, 331 pounds at the Senior Bowl. But he’s athletic enough that he was a tight end and a basketball player in high school, and his long reach means he’ll be viewed as an interesting tackle prospect. He was a three-year starter at right tackle for Texas A&M.