It's that time of year again.
The conference championships are in the books and the Super Bowl is two weeks away, so that means the entire football world is converging on Mobile, Alabama, for the 2019 Senior Bowl.
New Browns coach Freddie Kitchens, general manager John Dorsey and most of Cleveland's player personnel staff will be on hand for some portion, if not all, of the practices leading up to Saturday's game. The practices are the most vital part of the evaluation this week, and it's the last, true on-field look teams will get at more than 100 prospects before the NFL Draft in late April.
The Browns found their franchise quarterback at last year's Senior Bowl. Though they're 16 spots down the draft board from where they were last year, the Browns could very well connect with their 2019 first-round pick at this year's event.
Here are five who could fit the bill.
WR Andy Isabella - Massachusetts
Dubbed by CBSSports.com as the "Julio Jones of slot receiver prospects," Isabella is one of the highest touted receivers at this year's Senior Bowl. The 5-foot-8, 186-pound wide receiver from Massachusetts racked up 102 receptions for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior after clearing 1,000 yards in the previous season. In a three-overtime win over Buffalo, Isabella finished with nine catches for 303 yards and two touchdowns. Isabella hails from the Cleveland suburb of Mayfield, where he also starred as a track athlete at Mayfield High.
OT Andre Dillard - Washington State
The Browns could be in the market for a left tackle early in this year's draft, and Dillard is ranked by most as the best left tackle prospect at this year's event. NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah pegged Dillard to Cleveland at No. 17 in his first mock draft of 2019, writing "I believe Dillard is the top left tackle prospect in the draft and his pass-protecting prowess is just what Baker Mayfield needs." A fifth-year senior, Dillard was a three-year starter for the Cougars and received first-team All-Pac 12 honors in 2018.
EDGE Montez Sweat - Mississippi State
The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Sweat, as Jeremiah writes, has "outstanding length, burst and production" and would likely fit the bill as a defensive end in Cleveland's 4-3 scheme. Sweat made first-team All-SEC in back-to-back seasons to close out his career at Mississippi State, racking up a combined 21.5 sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss in 2017 and 2018. There are a handful of intriguing pass rushers set to hit the free agent market in March, but those players will come at a premium price. A player like Sweat could provide some real value to the Browns at No. 17.
DT Isaiah Buggs - Alabama
Though Buggs was an end in Alabama's 3-4, he'd likely shift to the inside if he were drafted by a base 4-3 team like the Browns. At 6-foot-4 and 292 pounds, Buggs didn't draw quite the amount of hype as his teammate and projected top-five pick Quinnen Williams, but he gave the Crimson Tide steady production and wound up leading the team with 9.5 sacks. This year's draft class is loaded with talented interior defensive linemen, and odds are there will be higher-ranked prospects than Buggs available when the Browns are on the clock at No. 17. Buggs, though, would provide plenty of value in the second round and beyond if Cleveland addresses a different position with its first pick.
DB Rock Ya-Sin - Temple
The Athletic's Dane Brugler ranks Ya-Sin as the No. 4 cornerback prospect in this year's draft after the Decatur, Georgia, native spent the final year of his college career at Temple. A transfer from Presbyterian College, Ya-Sin was promptly voted one of the team's toughest players and was subsequently awarded with a single-digit number. He finished the season with two interceptions and 12 passes defensed one year after having five and 13, respectively, in his final year at Presbyterian. The Browns landed cornerstone cornerback Denzel Ward in the first round last year, but there's no such thing as too many talented defensive backs.
