Baron Browning, LB, Ohio State
Baron Browning had a fantastic college football playoff run and a decent Senior Bowl performance. Perhaps the most underrated prospect in this year’s NFL Draft, anyone who has the chance to grab Browning late will have a chance of gaining a future Pro Bowler, in the right scheme.
A freakish athlete, Browning can make plays from sideline to sideline without any problem and have highlight plays. While this sounds great, and people may ask why he might not go higher, there are a few issues with Browning, which is why scouts have had him going between rounds four and five. Browning is not consistent when making plays, and at the collegiate level, he often struggled to understand the read of the field.
The Steelers have T.J. Watt, who was robbed from Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2021, while Devin Bush returning from injury. Pairing Browning with these two players would continue the Steelers’ dominant linebacker core, and Browning’s down-hill game would be a perfect complement to Bush when Vince Williams is gone. Pittsburgh clearly needs to find more depth at linebacker, and Baron Browning has future starting upside.