All the new Browns pre-draft breakdowns by Dane Brugler
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8. TOMMY TOGIAI | Ohio State 6014 | 296 lbs. | JR. Pocatello, Idaho (Highland) 9/19/1999 (age 21.61)
BACKGROUND: Tommy Togiai (TOE-gee-eye) grew up in southern Idaho and started playing football in middle school where he led his youth league team to a league title in 2012. He attended Highland High School in Pocatello and played on the varsity football team as a freshman. Togiai posted 62 tackles and 6.0 sacks as a junior and anchored a Highland defense that allowed only 63.7 rushing yards per game. As a senior, he earned First Team All-State honors for the third straight season with 93 tackles, 11.0 sacks, two forced fumbles and one interception and led Highland to the 5A state championship. Togiai was named the 2017 Gatorade Idaho Player of the Year and a U.S. Army All-American. He also lettered in basketball in high school.
A four-star defensive tackle recruit out of high school, Togiai was the No. 3-ranked defensive tackle in the class and the No. 1 recruit in the state with some calling him the best recruit in Idaho history. The offers started pouring in, starting with Utah during his sophomore year and soon followed by Oregon, USC and Washington. However, Ohio State made a strong push and was able to lure him east. Togiai became the first player from Idaho to sign with the Buckeyes, graduating early and enrolling in January 2018. His father (Tala) was a professional rugby player in Samoa. His older brother (T.J.) played defensive tackle at Carroll College (2015) and Idaho State (2016-20). His maternal grandfather played football and basketball at Ricks College. Togiai elected to skip his final season of eligibility and enter the 2021 NFL Draft
STRENGTHS: Stout, filled-out frame with better strength than most 330-pounders…keeps his shoulders square and torques his body to stay rooted in his spot versus single and double blocks…bullies at the point of attack, creating immediate knockback…uses his upper-body strength to stack, discard and find the football…enough quickness to weasel through gaps and get his momentum going downhill…flashes a stab move to create pass rush lanes…his acceleration and motor consistently jump off the screen as he chases down plays with pure effort…developed a passion for weightlifting when he was young and was one of the strongest players on the team the moment he arrived in Columbus…his teammates say he was a leader in the defensive line meetings since his freshman year…durable and avoided injury in college…his production and impact increased with his snaps and experience.
WEAKNESSES: Shorter-than-ideal arms…not a bad athlete, but lacks fluidity in his lower body…not the most graceful when prying through tight gaps…can get upright and allow blockers to get lower than him…undeveloped pass rusher, throwing late hands and not showing much of a plan…inconsistent counters once initially blocked…his instincts are still in the development phase…only one season as a full-time starter with underwhelming career numbers (8.5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks).
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at Ohio State, Togiai played the one-technique position in defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs’ four-man front, lining up primarily over the A-gap. He was one of the prizes of the 2018 recruiting class and after two seasons coming off the bench, he became a starter in 2020 and emerged as arguably the Buckeyes’ most valuable player on defense. Togiai is a bully in the trenches and has outstanding strength and flexibility through his hips to anchor, shed and make plays at the line of scrimmage. He takes the “hard work always beats talent” mantra to heart, never taking plays off and competing with relentless effort. Overall, Togiai needs to develop his handwork and timing as a pass rusher, but he boasts developed power, physical hands and budding instincts. He projects as a stout run defender with pass rush upside.
GRADE: 3rd-4th Round
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18. RICHARD LECOUNTE | Georgia 5104 | 196 lbs. | SR. Riceboro, Ga. (Liberty County) 9/11/1998 (age 22.63)
BACKGROUND: Richard LeCounte III (luh-COUNT), the youngest of six children, was born and raised in the small town of Riceboro, Ga. (population under 800; 50 miles south of Savannah). He attended Liberty County High School (the same school as LB Raekwon McMillan, who was his mentor) and was a three-sport letterman in basketball, football and track. A do-everything performer, LeCounte starred on both sides of the ball and posted 100 tackles and two interceptions as a junior safety, adding 17 total touchdowns on offense. As a senior, he recorded 100 tackles, two forced fumbles and two interceptions (one returned for a touchdown) with 39 catches for 800 yards and 20 total touchdowns as a receiver and quarterback. LeCounte earned First Team All-State honors in 2016 and finished his prep career with 399 tackles, 13 interceptions and 39 total touchdowns (23 receiving, 10 passing, three rushing and three on defense). In basketball, he led Liberty County to a 28- 1 record and the Class AAAA state championship as a junior, earning All-Region Player of the Year honors with 20.5 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. In track, LeCounte set a personal-best in the high jump of 6’4”.
A five-star recruit out of high school, LeCounte was the No. 2 safety in the 2017 class (behind JaCoby Stevens), the No. 3 recruit in the state of Georgia (behind QB Davis Mills and DT Aubrey Solomon) and the No. 25 recruit nationally. He collected several offers from powerhouse programs like Alabama, Clemson, Michigan and others. But he narrowed down his choice to Georgia and Ohio State, picking his home-state Bulldogs and becoming the first official commit of the Kirby Smart era. LeCounte accepted his invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl.
STRENGTHS: Field-fast and covers a lot of ground…nimble-footed with the athleticism to carry crossers or ride patterns from the slot…galloping strides in pursuit to make plays at either sideline, beating his teammates to the ball carrier…decisive trigger to see it and go, jumping routes and finding the pass lane…mean-spirited tackler, competing with the aggressive nature required for the position…offensive background shows at the catch point, taking advantage of mistakes by the quarterback (eight interceptions the last three seasons, averaging 17.9 yards per return)…charismatic leader and very well liked in the Georgia locker room…productive three-year starter (33 starts).
WEAKNESSES: Disappointing testing times at his pro day…flies around the field, but often out of control, leading to missed tackles…overaggressive, often to the point of taking himself out of position…inconsistent tackling technique from play to play, hugging or attacking too high…eyes will get stuck in the backfield, allowing receivers to get behind him…handsy in man coverage, tugging jersey to hop a ride…lacks ideal bulk and size for the position, which leads to durability concerns…missed the second half of the 2020 season due to injuries (concussion, shoulder sprain, bruised ribs) following a traffic accident when his dirt bike was struck by a vehicle, leaving him unconscious. [
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Georgia, LeCounte lined up at strong safety in Kirby Smart’s 3-3-5 base scheme, playing mostly to the field side. He was one of three five-star recruits from the Bulldogs’ 2017 class and quickly established himself as one of the team’s locker-room leaders and standout defenders. LeCounte plays with outstanding pursuit range and decisiveness, competing with the fearless mentality required. However, there is a fine line between aggressive and undisciplined, and he spends time on both sides, leading to feast or famine plays. Overall, LeCounte competes with outstanding play speed and energy, but you have to live with the inconsistencies. His tape gives off vibes of an undersized version of Marquise Blair.
GRADE: 6th Round
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26. DEMETRIC FELTON | UCLA 5085 | 189 lbs. | rSR. Temecula, Calif. (Great Oak) 7/16/1998 (age 22.79)
BACKGROUND: Demetric Felton Jr. was born in Memphis and grew up in Southern California, playing football at the youth level. He attended Great Oak High School where he was a wide receiver before transitioning to running back as a junior, rushing for 1,277 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2014. As a senior, Felton earned All-State and All-Division honors with 1,347 rushing yards on 166 carries (8.1 average) and 14 touchdowns, adding 23 receptions for 391 yards and two scores. He returned three kickoffs for touchdowns in high school. Felton also ran track at Great Oak with a personal-best 11.61 in the 100-meters.
A three-star recruit out of high school, Felton was the No. 10 all-purpose back in the class (one spot ahead of RB Josh Jacobs) and the No. 50 recruit in the state of California. He considered offers from California, Michigan, Utah, Washington and Washington State before choosing to stay close to home, committing to UCLA. Felton signed as a wide receiver but moved to running back midway through his Bruins career. He accepted his invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl.
STRENGTHS: Versatile play profile with his experience as a rusher, receiver and returner…owns the pull-away acceleration to run away from pursuit…sharp footwork at the top of his routes, hitting a second gear out of his breaks…able to gear down and then mash the gas to win on double moves…elusive feet to avoid press or be slippery in space…steady pass-catching hands…at his best on quick-hitting angle routes that create YAC opportunities…showed much better route savvy at the Senior Bowl than on his UCLA tape…experienced on kick returns, averaging 15.7 yards per return with one touchdown (39/611/1)…the UCLA coaches go out of their way to talk about his value to their program…combined for 2,258 all-purpose yards his junior and senior seasons in college.
WEAKNESSES: Undersized, lacking ideal height, weight and build…work in progress as a downfield route runner…needs to shorten his step count and use his eyes to better sell corners…will freelance at times and ends up in a different spot than where the quarterback expects…will struggle to win crowded catch points and establish body position vs. NFL defenders…unproven catch radius…needs to break some bad habits like using his body to finish catches or unnecessarily jumping at the catch point…limited jam experience on tape.
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at UCLA, Felton was initially a wide receiver before moving to running back in head coach Chip Kelly’s pro-style spread scheme. He was productive whenever he touched the football for the Bruins, both in volume (led the Pac-12 with 165.8 all-purpose yards per game in 2020) and big plays (had four touchdowns of 75-plus yards in 2019, a UCLA single-season record). Primarily a running back in college, Felton will require time to sharpen his awareness and skills, but his route construction, break quickness and ball skills were impressive during Senior Bowl practices at receiver. Regardless of how he gets the ball, the explosive movements and speed are there for him to threaten opponents in different ways. Overall, Felton comes with fit and refinement questions, but he can be a matchup weapon with his flexibility out of the backfield or at receiver. He projects best in the slot and as a return man.
GRADE: 5th Round
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14. TONY FIELDS II | West Virginia 6002 | 222 lbs. | SR. Las Vegas, Nev. (Desert Pines) 6/18/1999 (age 21.86)
BACKGROUND: Tony Fields II grew up in the Las Vegas suburbs and attended Desert Pines High School, where he was a three-sport letterman in baseball, basketball and football. A linebacker on defense and wide receiver on offense, he earned All-Conference and All-City honors as a sophomore, junior and senior, also picking up First Team All-State honors as a senior. After posting 93 tackles and two interceptions as a junior, Fields recorded 110 tackles as a senior captain, leading Desert Pines to the 2016 3A state championship (Fields finished with 148 yards receiving and two touchdowns in the title game).
A three-star recruit out of high school, Fields was the No. 44-ranked athlete in the 2017 recruiting class and the No. 8 recruit in Nevada. He collected more than a dozen scholarship offers, choosing Arizona over Boise State, BYU, Missouri and others. After enrolling early in January 2017, he started three seasons for the Wildcats and graduated with his degree in literacy, learning and leadership, entering the transfer portal after his junior season. For his final season of eligibility, Fields committed to West Virginia over Minnesota and Texas, rejoining Mountaineers co-defensive coordinator Jahmile Addae, who recruited him to Arizona out of high school. Fields accepted his invitation to the Senior Bowl, earning top linebacker honors on the National team.
STRENGTHS: Rangy athlete with the speed to make plays at either sideline…quick to process and key versus the run…uses his agility to slither around blocks and find the ball carrier…relies on timing and physicality to strike and shed versus blockers…calms his feet well in space to break down as a tackler…flexible hips and lower body to cleanly change directions…very active in zone coverage, sensing throwing lanes and forcing quarterbacks to go elsewhere…quickly established himself as a team leader and tone-setter once he arrived at West Virginia, according to the coaches…durable and tough, playing through minor injuries and making 45 career starts…highly productive with at least 88 tackles in each of his four collegiate seasons.
WEAKNESSES: Smallish frame and doesn’t have prototypical length or growth potential…struggles to leverage gaps versus blockers and can be eaten up near the line of scrimmage…needs to stay disciplined with his run fits and hold contain…inconsistent finishing strength when his tackling technique isn’t perfect…needs to avoid the mental mistakes (two targeting fouls and a horse collar penalty on three of the 2020 tapes studied)…it is tough for him to work off contact mid-pursuit…will occasionally get too relaxed with his coverage reps, finding himself lost in space.
SUMMARY: A one-year starter at West Virginia, Fields lined up as the middle linebacker in the Mountaineers' 3-3-5 base scheme, previously lining up as a weakside linebacker during his three seasons in Arizona. He was one of the most impactful free-agent signings in college football last offseason, making all the defensive sets and calls for the Mountaineers and averaging 9.8 tackles per game as a senior. With his natural feel for the game, Fields is quick to diagnose and go with the athleticism and toughness to make plays in the backfield or downfield. A better run-around defender than take-on player, it can be tough for him to operate near the line of scrimmage because of his lack of size. Overall, Fields can be too easily engulfed when he isn’t a step ahead of the play, but he is an instinctive player with above-average play speed to be a rangy run-and-hit weakside linebacker in the NFL.
GRADE: 4th-5th Round
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11. MARVIN WILSON | Florida State 6037 | 303 lbs. | SR. Houston, Texas (Episcopal) 9/5/1998 (age 22.65) #21
BACKGROUND: Marvin Wilson grew up in the Acres Home neighborhood in northwest Houston and his family endured tough financial times. He had the opportunity to attend Episcopal High School (a private school in Bellaire), primarily as a basketball player before football emerged as his main sport. Wilson posted 19.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks as a senior while earning numerous All-American awards. He finished his prep career with 71 tackles for loss and 42.0 sacks and played alongside other top recruits like OT Walker Little (Stanford), WR Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) and WR Jhamon Ausbon (Texas A&M).
A five-star defensive tackle recruit out of high school, Wilson was the No. 1 ranked defensive tackle, the No. 1 ranked player in Texas (ahead of CB Jeff Okudah and Little) and the No. 6 recruit overall. He started receiving scholarship offers from major programs as a sophomore. Wilson had a final five of Florida State, LSU, Ohio State, Oklahoma and South Florida, committing to the Seminoles on signing day. He accepted his invitation to the 2021 Senior Bowl.
STRENGTHS: Broad-shouldered brick house with a strong trunk…eats up blockers and holds his ground versus power…flashes the violence to bench press blockers off him…physical hand swipe to replace the punch of blockers…shows a natural sense for the inside run game, maintaining his gap integrity…shows the line of scrimmage awareness to track ball carriers and find the lane…adequate movements for his size to attack gaps…effective looper, rushing from the outside…flashes the ability to make plays outside his square…doesn’t miss many tackle opportunities…three blocked kicks in 2020.
WEAKNESSES: Stiff midsection and ankle tight, lacking the body twitch to easily unwind from blocks…played overweight as a senior and his body composition issues were clear on tape…finds himself off-balance too often at the point of attack…struggles to disengage and needs to better lock out and maximize his length…doesn’t consistently create his own passing lanes…relies on his power instead of countering with sound tactics…suffered back-to-back season-ending injuries as a junior and senior with a broken thumb that required surgery (November 2019) and a leg injury that required a minor procedure (November 2020)…below-average backfield production and didn’t reach double-digit sacks in his career (39 games).
SUMMARY: A three-year starter at Florida State, Wilson lined up at both the three- and one-technique positions in defensive coordinator Adam Fuller’s scheme. He was part of Jimbo Fisher’s highly regarded 2017 recruiting class (that included other five-stars like Cam Akers), but his development appeared to suffer due to the turmoil within the program, including three different coaching staffs the last four years. Wilson has NFL tools and flashes the upfield burst and play strength to force his way through gaps. However, he played too heavy on his 2020 tape and his motor tends to spurt instead of rev, simply going through the motions. Overall, Wilson has size and talent, but he struggles to play with balance through contact and lacks explosive movements to be a consistent factor in the backfield. He projects as a mid-round depth piece with obvious bust potential.
GRADE: 5th Round
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54. KIONDRE THOMAS | Kansas State 6000 | 185 lbs. | rSR. Fort Smith, Ark. (Northside) 2/7/1998 (age 23.23)
SUMMARY: Kiondre (key-ON-dre) Thomas lettered in football and track at Northside High School and earned All-State honors at corner with 63 tackles and six interceptions, adding six touchdowns on offense. A three-star recruit, he committed to Minnesota and was part of the cornerback rotation for three seasons. Thomas graduated and transferred to Kansas State for his final season of eligibility, starting the final four games in 2020 (allowed 10 completions and one touchdown). He is at his best in press-man where he can jam and stay attached to receivers up-and-down the field. In off-coverage, Thomas struggles to multitask and break down the route while also keeping track of the quarterback in the pocket. He has a questionable mental process, which leads to spacing issues and inconsistent body position. Overall, Thomas doesn’t have a productive resume, but he is a physical competitor with the impressive testing numbers that won’t go unnoticed by NFL teams.
GRADE: Priority Free Agent
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39. ROMEO MCKNIGHT | Charlotte 6041 | 251 lbs. | rSR. Crystal Lake, Ill. (Central) 3/25/1998 (age 23.09)
SUMMARY: Romeo McKnight was born in South Bend and attended Crystal Like Central High School where he was a standout running back and defense end. He also won the Class 2A state title in wrestling at 220 pounds as a junior. McKnight missed his senior season in high school due to a torn ACL in his right knee (September 2015). He committed to Iowa, but never took the field, redshirting in 2016 and suffering another knee injury in 2017. He had a productive two-year run at FCS-level Illinois State before transferring to Charlotte for his final season. McKnight gets upfield quickly with his quick feet and is always in chase mode. However, he is a narrow-based player with inconsistent take-on skills and not enough power in his upper body to see his rush moves come to fruition. Overall, McKnight is an athletic and flexible rusher (led his team in tackles for loss the last three years), but he struggles to consistently play through contact. He projects as an NFL nickel rusher.
GRADE: Priority Free Agent
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Nothing written for the other two Browns UDFA's listed here
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Now I would like the copy and paste free version ...where you type it all out London
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