Browns bolster their putrid front seven in this 2023 NFL Mock Draft

A front seven makeover for Jim Schwartz

The Cleveland Browns are handing over the defensive reigns to new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz hoping to turn around that unit. The Browns’ current roster aligns well with what he asks his defensive backs to do. But if the team wants a total defensive turnaround the defensive line and front seven need improvement.

This draft has plenty of options and fun prospects along the defensive line and is a much better defensive tackle class than last year’s. The Browns will likely attack the interior defensive line in free agency by adding some young pieces through the draft.

Now for this week’s seven-round Browns mock draft.

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10 Senior Bowl prospects who helped themselves as potential Lions this week

These Senior Bowl prospects rose up during practices and interviews in the eyes of the Detroit Lions.

The Senior Bowl wraps up the postseason all-star game circuit with 125 aspiring NFL draft prospects going through a week of practices, interviews and meetings. It’s a very important stop on the draft circuit, with heavy scouting representation from all 32 NFL teams as well as hundreds of media in attendance for the annual extravaganza in Mobile, Alabama.

From watching the practices inside Hancock Whitney Stadium, here are some of the players who stood out during the week as prospects who fit what the Detroit Lions appear to want or need to help bolster the roster in 2023 and beyond.

You can catch all these players in action in the Senior Bowl on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. ET on the NFL Network.

Chargers’ Senior Bowl Notebook: Day 3 standouts

Recapping the final day of practice at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Over 100 of the top senior prospects and at least three Chargers personnel staffers are in Mobile, Alabama this week for the Senior Bowl. Thursday marked the third and final day of practice for both rosters leading up to the game on Saturday.

Here are my notes from both practices Thursday.

My biggest standout was Northwestern defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore. After two days of solid play, Adebawore blew up Thursday’s session on every single rep. He won two straight one-on-one reps before the groups took a water break. When the players returned, Notre Dame offensive lineman Jarrett Patterson went to line up at center before Adebawore called him out and told him to move to guard so they could go against one another. He then beat Patterson both times and earned a celebration with his fellow defenders. Once team period began, Adebawore beat North Dakota State OL Cody Mauch with an inside swim to force a run stop.

Adebawore is a bit undersized for a defensive lineman, coming in at 6’1 ½”, 284 lbs. But with 34” arms and the power profile to match, the Northwestern defender is an intriguing potential 4 or 5 tech at the next level. If the Chargers feel like they need to beef up their pass rush presence from the interior, Adebawore could be someone they take a long look at early on Day 3.

I thought Fresno State QB Jake Haener was the best passer of the day and probably the best of the week, considering how poorly the quarterbacks have played in Mobile. In one on ones, Haener was by far the most consistent as far as ball placement went, especially on end-zone corner routes to the back pylon. When they moved to flatter routes to the front of the end zone, Haener struggled with his ball placement a bit, but still less than the other two QBs on his squad.

When team period began, Haener again delivered a nice ball to the back pylon that was equaled by a nice catch by Purdue tight end Payne Durham while being hit by two defenders. Durham took a huge shot, losing his helmet in the process, but held onto the ball for the touchdown.

Michigan center Olusegun Oluwatimi had his best day of the week in my opinion. After struggling with more powerful rushers all week, Oluwatimi held his own against some of the best performers at the Senior Bowl. Bowling Green defensive tackle Karl Brooks had nothing for him on their reps. Wisconsin DT Keeanu Benton initially pushed Oluwatimi back, but he recovered nicely and was able to reset his anchor to win the rep.

Oluwatimi is an athletically limited center who will always have his issues against more powerful NFL players. For that reason, he’ll likely be available well into Day 3. If the Chargers want an intelligent developmental center behind Corey Linsley, Oluwatimi could be in play.

People have been speaking highly of Illinois RB Chase Brown, but I have some real questions about what his utility on passing downs is going to be. I thought he consistently struggled to find his hands in pass protection drills and looked incredibly uncomfortable catching the ball out of the backfield. Brown was named the National team RB of the Week by the linebackers he went up against, but I have a feeling that had more to do with his powerful running style than his overall game.

On the flip side for Illinois, safety Sydney Brown has looked like a missile closing on the ball all week. The twin brother of Chase, Sydney’s closing speed has stuck out on nearly every rep in Mobile. Without live tackling, Sydney has been forced to pull up, but in live-action, there have been a number of times where you can tell that he’s seconds away from detonating on a ball carrier. For a Chargers team that needs to add tackling ability on the back end, Brown could be an option late on Day 2 or early on Day 3 to add to the mix alongside Alohi Gilman and JT Woods opposite Derwin James.

South Carolina cornerback Darius Rush finished out a great week on Thursday with a dominant performance against the American team wide receivers. In one on ones, Rush undercut an out route intended for Princeton’s Andrei Iosivas, then won a battle with SMU’s Rashee Rice, who came into the week billed as the top receiver in Mobile. The South Carolina corner showed a ton of patience and ample route recognition abilities before showcasing his 21.65 mph speed to close on a throw for an interception during team period.

Rush has made himself a lot of money this week, but his fit with the Chargers remains unlikely because of his position and play style. LA is mostly set at cornerback with JC Jackson, Asante Samuel Jr., and Michael Davis, and Jackson and Davis have the same physical style as Rush off the line.

Quick hits:

  • Stanford’s Elijah Higgins worked at tight end and Florida A&M’s Isaiah Land worked at inside linebacker, both for the first time but at positions they’ll likely play in the NFL.
  • Georgia kicker Jack Podlesny struggled, pushing four kicks wide right of the uprights. It looked like he was trying to generate too much power while sacrificing his form.
  • Shepherd quarterback Tyson Bagent only throws fastballs at this stage of his career. If he wants to stick in the NFL, he’ll need to refine his touch.
  • Tyjae Spears had the rep of the week on a whip route against Pitt LB SirVocea Dennis. The Tulane RB dipped completely under Dennis and left him in the dust, causing a huge celebration from his offensive teammates.
  • Virginia wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks had his best day, showing nice short area burst and polished route running. The concern with Wicks has always been his drop rate, and he had a couple plays he couldn’t finish on Thursday.

Reese’s Senior Bowl notes and standouts from day-three

What stood out from day three of the Senior Bowl?

All three days of practice at the Reese’s Senior Bowl have come to a conclusion as they now prepare for the actual game on Saturday. As the Cleveland Browns prepare for the 2023 NFL Draft, there are prospects in Mobile, Alabama for them to target. We will discuss here the standouts and other notes from day-three, including the steady performance of Purdue tight end Payne Durham. You can find the coverage from the first two days in the links below.

Day-one

Day-two

What stood out the most from the last day of practice as these prospects look to improve their 2023 NFL Draft stock one last time? Let’s dive in to Thursday’s practice.

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5 players who saw their stock rise after a week at the Senior Bowl

Several players have seen their stocks rise this week at the Senior Bowl.

The first major event of the draft season is wrapping up as Senior Bowl practices were held this week in Mobile Alabama. Some players have seen their stock rise and others have seen it fall but overall it was a good week. There are several players the Cleveland Browns should have on their board in April that saw their stock rise this week.

Overall the offensive lines seemed to play better than the defensive lines with standouts on both sides. The wide receiver group overall wasn’t as impressive as some had hoped they would be in Mobile.

Here’s a look at five players who stood out the most this week.

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Senior Bowl, Day 3: Which defenders stood out?

Which defenders stood out in Day 3 of Senior Bowl week? Laurie Fitzpatrick checks in from Mobile.

MOBILE, Alabama — On the last day of Senior Bowl practices, it was a lot about who could step up and finish strong. There were more individual drills that took place inside the redzone, and at the goal line, so we could see these players work with limited space.

Who could win and who could score.

Over the last few days, these players have been getting used to their competition, so there was more chatter between reps. Which made the competitiveness rise. We got a chance to see who would come out on top when the pressure was on.

On the defensive side of the ball, there were a few players that showed a lot of improvement, and others who continued to show why their stocks continue to rise. Let’s dive into who’s stock went up on Day 3 of Senior Bowl week.

Reese’s Senior Bowl notes and standouts from day-two

What stood out from day two of the Senior Bowl?

The Reese’s Senior Bowl is now on its third and final day of practice as these 2023 NFL Draft hopefuls continue to try and make a name for themselves in front of NFL teams. The Cleveland Browns, being one of those NFL teams, are down in Mobile, Alabama as they are keeping a close eye on those in attendance as they look to improve their roster through the draft. Tuesday’s practice was dominated by Wisconsin defensive tackle Keeanu Benton and Bowling Green defensive tackle Karl Brooks, and yesterday’s practice leaned heavily in favor of Northwestern defensive lineman Adetomiwa Adebawore.

What else stood out from day two of the Senior Bowl festivities?

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UGA football in top schools for 4-star Kansas City edge rusher

The Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners are among the top schools for four-star class of 2023 edge rusher Adepoju Adebawore.

The Georgia Bulldogs are among the top schools for four-star class of 2023 edge rusher Adepoju Adebawore.

Adepoju Adebawore plays high school football for North Kansas City High School in Kansas City, Missouri. Per 247Sports, Adebawore is favored to commit to the Oklahoma Sooners. The four-star edge rusher plans to make a decision soon.

Adepoju Adebawore’s top five schools are Georgia, Northwestern, Oklahoma, LSU and Missouri. He has committed to playing in the 2023 Under Armour All-America Game.

The North Kansas City standout has taken recent official visits to Northwestern and Oklahoma. Adebawore visited Georgia in April.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound pass rusher is ranked as a top 100 recruit in the rising senior class and is the No. 5 player in Missouri. Adebawore is the No. 12 edge rusher in the country.

Adepoju’s brother, Adetomiwa Adebawore, plays football for Northwestern and has 7.5 career sacks over his three seasons with the Wildcats. The duo could play together for the 2023 college football season.

The talented edge rusher named his top five schools via his Twitter account:

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