With The First Pick
Fansided

2018 NFL Mock Draft: Final evaluations before the Scouting Combine

By Maxwell Ogden

SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 17: Quenton Nelson #56 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates after a 10-yard touchdown reception by Corey Robinson against the USC Trojans in the fourth quarter of the game at Notre Dame Stadium on October 17, 2015 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN - OCTOBER 17: Quenton Nelson #56 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates after a 10-yard touchdown reception by Corey Robinson against the USC Trojans in the fourth quarter of the game at Notre Dame Stadium on October 17, 2015 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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Edge Defender. North Carolina State Wolfpack. Bradley Chubb. 4. player. 53.

I was tempted to go all-in on offense here, but the Cleveland Browns should take the best talent on the board. Sam Darnold needs help on offense, but he also needs a defense that won’t require him to put up 30 points on a weekly basis.

By pairing former No. 1 overall draft pick Myles Garrett with another outstanding defensive end, the Browns could become an immediate force to be reckoned with.

Carl Nassib and Emmanuel Ogbah are solid players, but Bradley Chubb has a chance to become a perennial Pro Bowler. He’s not only a ferocious pass rusher, but he excels in defending the run, as well—a rare balance when scouting edge defenders.

Garrett fit that very bill in 2017, but Nassib and Ogbah are both run specialists who struggle to apply consistent pressure to quarterbacks.

Chubb can do it all—see: 44.0 tackles for loss and 20.0 sacks between his junior and senior seasons. His work ethic and motor are his greatest strengths, however, as he plays with violent hands and legs that keep on grinding until after the whistle.

If the Browns are going to make a splash in a deep and star-studded AFC North, then building their own version of Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis could be the avenue to success.

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