Pass rushers are at a premium in the NFL. That means a number of the best available prospects will be off the board by the time Cleveland makes the first pick of the second round.
But the market certainly isn't bare. There promises to be a number of players capable of making an impact at this position available at No. 32, and the Browns just might be in the market for one at that point in the draft.
Could Cleveland look to address this position in the second round for a second straight year? If so, keep an eye on these three.
Kamalei Correa - Boise State
Though he didn't play the position in college, Correa is pegged as a prototypical, 3-4 outside linebacker after lining up as a 4-3 defensive end for the Broncos. His breakout season came in 2014, when he made the All-Mountain West first team after collecting 12 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Those numbers dropped to seven and 13, respectively, as a junior but he remains one of the draft's most coveted pass rushers because of his "quick-twitch athleticism and moldable traits as a pass rusher," according to NFL.com. Correa was particularly impressive at his Pro Day, where Gil Brandt proclaimed he could very well be a first-round pick. If that's the case, he may be considered a steal if he's available at No. 32.
Noah Spence - Eastern Kentucky
If not for his off-field concerns, Spence could very well be an early first-round pick. Alas, it's unknown just how early his name will be called after a rocky college career that began at Ohio State and ended on a high note at the FCS level. Spence was banned from the Big Ten after failing multiple drug tests, but he got things in order at Eastern Kentucky, where he finished this past season with 11.5 sacks and a whopping 22.5 tackles for loss. Spence had eight sacks as a sophomore with the Buckeyes. Spence saw his draft stock spike after an impressive showing at the Senior Bowl but tapered off a bit after the Combine. Whoever picks Spence will have to do so after extensive homework, but they very well could get one of the best defensive players in the draft if Spence stays on the right track.
Kevin Dodd - Clemson
Projections for Dodd are all over the map. If you subscribe to one set of mock drafts, you're probably wondering why we've included a top-15 pick in this group. Dodd burst on the scene by compiling at least one sack in his final five games -- three coming against Alabama in the college football national championship -- and proving to be just as valuable as the highly touted Shaq Lawson during Clemson's title run. The knock on Dodd, though, is his lack of experience, as he saw the field regularly for just one season. At 6-foot-5 and 277 pounds, Dodd is built like a prototypical 4-3 defensive end, but he's talented enough to fit in any system.
