In the latest Locked on Browns Podcast Mock Draft the Browns take Defensive Lineman Karl Brooks at pick #74. Bowling Green defensive lineman Karl Brooks projects as a hybrid-type defensive lineman in the NFL. Brooks has had a tremendous two-year stretch of splash play production for Bowling Green, and he will look to continue that momentum into the pro game—although I do have some questions about how he wins against MAC competition and how he will need to play differently against NFL talent to see comparable results.

Originally an unranked recruit, Brooks played his high school football for Sexton High School in Lansing, Michigan. He was a member of Bowling Green’s recruiting class of 2018 after initially committing to Grand Valley State and receiving minimal offers. Bowling Green offered him late in the process and he quickly flipped his commitment.

Brooks has some really enjoyable moments on film; he’ll bull-rush tackles or finesse against oversets and come crashing into the pocket to disrupt opposing passers. You wouldn’t necessarily expect such a diverse pass-rush pallet from a bigger guy, but he’s flashing inside counters, spin moves, and all sorts of rush counters with his hands. I like that he is capable of straight bulling soft setting tackles, too—that gives him an element to fall back on as he continues to develop as a player. He’ll need it too, given I don’t think his first step is going to be a consistent threat in the NFL. But he’s going to give himself an opportunity to find snaps on passing downs because he clearly offers a rush plan and he’s a high-motor and effort player who can be relentless in pursuit. He’s a bit of a tweener from a skill set perspective relative to his build and athletic profile, though, and he’s going to have to evolve one way or another to build up his opportunities beyond a designated pass rusher role in the right situation.

Brooks’ ability to stack blocks and negotiate the point of attack is in need of further development if he’s going to play on early downs or be a starter someday. I don’t have a great deal of certainty in the functional length that he plays with, and I don’t see the same pop in his hands when linemen are driving toward him as I do when he’s afforded the chance to attack into his rushes and that costs him leverage and ground at the point. Teams who want to run the ball will likely test him early in his career if he’s on the field until he can right the pad-level inconsistencies and find a power posture more often. Even then, his violence and efficiency to disengage and deconstruct need to have more to it.

#Browns

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