Cleveland Browns 2020 NFL Draft: Complete seven-round mock draft
Pick Analysis. Defensive Tackle. Raekwon Davis. 41. 53. Scouting Report. Alabama. player
This may not be the biggest position of need for the Cleveland Browns at this point, but it is an opportunity to take the best player available, by many accounts a first-round 2020 NFL Draft prospect, Raekwon Davis of Alabama.
Alabama has produced a TON of quality defensive linemen in recent history and I don’t think Davis is an exception. While his production on the stat sheet has plummeted over the final two years of his collegiate career, the traits are still there for Davis to be a star at the next level.
As a sophomore for Nick Saban and the Tide, Davis totaled 8.5 sacks and 69 total tackles. As a junior and senior, Davis has been utilized differently in his defense and has faced more and more double teams without the likes of Quinnen Williams and Daron Payne (both first-round picks the past two years).
At 6-foot-7 and 312 lbs, Davis is a physical, big-bodied defender who can make an impact in the middle or be a force on the end. He has great length to keep blockers at bay and to reach out and make tackles or bat passes. He is very agile for his size and is explosive when he is able to exploit a gap in the line.
Davis thrives when he is able to move and use his athleticism to find and shoot through gaps. If he can fire out low and directly through a gap in the line, Davis can be incredibly disruptive. It’s when he gets too high and ends up engaged with blockers where he struggles to make an impact.
He could certainly add some more thickness and strength to his frame to be able to power through blocks and double teams, but he is an explosive athlete with simple, quick, effective moves that help him make plays.
For the Cleveland Browns, Davis wouldn’t have to come in and be relied upon as a starter right away. The Browns have two solid starting defensive tackles in Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi. But behind those two players, they have very little depth at the position.
Davis could come in as a rotational piece right away and have the opportunity to learn and grow before taking on a larger role with the team. Ogunjobi is set to be a free agent after next season, so defensive tackle could prove to be a bigger need going forward.