Cleveland Browns Comprehensive NFL Draft Review: Alex Wright, DE UAB

With the 78th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns selected defensive end Alex Wright out of the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Wright is the second player Browns general manager Andrew Berry has selected out of Conference USA, joining Harrison Bryant, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft out of Florida Atlantic.

Wright was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team in 2019, then was selected second team all conference in his final season, leading the Blazers in sacks and tackles for loss, forcing a pair of fumbles.

Athletic Profile

Age: 21 (Born September 5th, 2000)

Height: 6'5 1/8"

Weight: 271 lbs

Arm Length: 34"

40-yard dash: DNP

Broad Jump: 114" (Pro Day)

Vertical Jump: 29" (Pro Day)

3-cone: 7.42 (Pro Day)

Shuttle: 4.47 (Pro Day)

Bench Press: 15 reps

Unfortunately, Wright was hurt during the combine and didn't get to test the 40 at his Pro Day, which can limit what can be gleaned from his athletic testing. That said, neither his explosion nor agility are terribly impressive. They don't look problematic, but they don't stand out as major assets.

The Browns are banking heavily that his age is indication that his athleticism will only improve in time. His size, strength and overall length are his best assets.

Production

2021 (Best Season)

Solo Tackles: 23 (5.2%)

Tackles for Loss: 8.5 (10.7%)

Sacks: 6 (18.7%)

This is where things start to get concerning with Wright. The Browns like his future better than his past, but Wright was not particularly productive in college even in his best season. He had a promising start to his career as a 235 pound freshman. Getting up to 260 as a sophomore proved to be a difficult adjustment before rebounding with a promising junior year. Had he stayed in college another year, he might have put together a dominant season in terms of production.

The Blazers played both Georgia and BYU, but the vast majority of their schedule was underwhelming, which doesn't help Wright's case. Nevertheless, his production at least crosses the Pro Bowl threshold, signaling what's possible.

Game Tape

Wright's game features impressive flashes and some interesting traits, but little consistency. He has an NFL body, shows NFL power and flashes attributes like bend, agility and straight-line speed.

His awkward three-point stance might be why the Blazers were content to let him stand up so much, the role he had been playing when he arrived. Regardless, there are so many examples where he's either lining up or adjusting as the ball is snapped and he's immediately playing from behind. The few times he's right, he can demonstrate a good first step and quickly generate momentum, gaining an advantage.

His pad level is often high, but it rarely holds him back. He's strong at the point of attack, flashes a powerful punch that can jolt opponents and maintains his leg drive. Wright can be physically overwhelming in that regard. His production against the Georgia Bulldogs (2 solo tackles) is underwhelming, but he did not look out of place and was able to drive their blockers into the backfield, put them off defeated them even if it didn't show up on the stat sheet.

That power stands out in run defense where he rarely gives up ground. Combined with his length, it can be difficult to get outside of him. That allows him to collapse the pocket, limiting the running room for the ball carrier.

Wright is effective stacking and shedding blockers. He takes full advantage of his arm length and is strong enough to keep opponents from getting into his body. That enables him to then defeat the block, whether it's using the opponents' momentum against them, chopping their arm, ripping or swimming. Of all the skills he has, his use of his hands might be the most promising even if there's room for continued development.

Wright's agility is intriguing, but can be clunky. Arriving in Birmingham as a freshman at such a light weight, he played that way. As he has gained over 50 pounds in three seasons, adding significant power in the process, the agility is still there but the body control is a work in progress. The change in his body has been so dramatic, it's as if he has repeated puberty in trying to figure out his rapidly growing body.

Laterally, Wright's quick and flashes the ability to bend well, which can catch opponents off guard. Often bracing for his power, that cross up can be devastating. His arms operate as levers, which can enable him to get through almost uncontested. Likewise, when he's able to run in a straight line, it might not look pretty because he's such a long strider, but he can cover ground.

When Wright isn't able to able to get to the quarterback as a pass rusher, he is a threat to deflect passes. He takes up a lot of space in general, but can get his arms up, which can at least obstruct passing lanes.

Fit, Usage and Projection

Wright's an aspirational selection that can be a rotational base, but might become more with time and further development. He does have limited experience on the interior, 52 snaps in three seasons per Pro Football Focus. Unless the Browns deal with injuries, Taven Bryan and fellow rookie Perrion Winfrey should be able to handle those interior pass rush duties at least for the upcoming season.

Early on, Wright looks like he might be able to provide some reps on run downs, even if it's only a handful, to give players like Myles Garrett a breather, saving them for pass rush opportunities.

So much of Wright's first year is just mastering his body. Wright still has room to grow with his frame, but if he's not gaining significant weight as he has the past three seasons, it should help him improve his body control and flexibility. That should pay dividends as he looks smooth out some of the rougher edges in his game.

The Browns will let Wright work out his inconsistencies and awkwardness out on the practice field before letting him loose in games, so unless he makes dramatic improvements, it wouldn't be a surprise if he were limited in his role and even inactive for games this season.

The Browns should offer an environment where they can offer him all the reps he could ask for in training camp and in-season practices which could accelerate his development. There's no sense in wearing down Myles Garrett and the same approach will likely be taken with whichever starting end they have across from him, whether it's Jadeveon Clowney or another veteran.

Perhaps a  complete athletic profile might have improved his projection, but based entirely on the information available, he projects as a backup and role player. The Browns may love his traits and believe he will beat the odds as he at least met the thresholds for a long term starter and even a Pro Bowl player., but it could prove difficult to achieve.

The Rest of the 2022 Draft Class

Martin Emerson, CB Mississippi State

David Bell, WR Purdue

Perrion Winfrey, DT Oklahoma

Jerome Ford, RB Cincinnati

Michael Woods II, WR Oklahoma

Isaiah Thomas, DE Oklahoma

Dawson Deaton, C Texas Tech