In the 3rd Round - Cleveland Browns Select - Sam Acho - DE - University of Texas

First of all, spew your vitriol about how this is just another "Texas Longhorn  Homer"  post below, then lets look at the facts.

1. The likely move to a 4-3 defense combined with the fact that the average age of the Browns DL is like 63 and you know that it is critical that the Browns add youth to the DL.

2.  The move to the 4-3 is toughest on the defensive ends, because generally you have to scrap your 3-4 DE "statues" for dynamic and athletic types. So if DL help is critical, DE help is the critical part of the critical part.  (When discussing draft issues, it is critical that you use the word critical.)

3.  On the current roster, the only potential 4-3 DE we have is prollyMatt Roth, and he is one of our 43 possible free agents.  In addition, I am not sure he would be a really good 4-3 DE prospect, but that is a different topic for a different day.

So the Browns have the need for a defensive end, no question.  So then we have to ask, who is Sam Acho? And why should the Browns draft him?

Sam Acho - 6-3 260 lb Defensive End - 4 year Letterman at University of Texas.  Draft Projection 3 rd Round.

10 Reasons The Browns Want and Need Sam Acho ....

1.   Sam Acho is a "green sticker" guy.  The Longhorns sucked this year.  Most of the players quit.  Not Sam Acho.   A proven leader, a proven scholar, his leadership is in the mold of Colt McCoy.  The first 5 bullets will be dedicated to the caliber of the individual, and the second five to the caliber of his football performance.

2.  He is the 2010 Wuerffel Trophy (all-around excellence in athletic, academic and community achievement) Winner.  Acho = excellence on the field, excellence in the classroom, excellence in the community.

3.  He won the William V. Campbell Trophy winner (nation's top football student-athlete) in 2010.  This is basically the Academic Heisman, and would put him in the same class of scholar athlete as Alex Mack.  But he will likely be there in round 3.  (Although this guy is such a high character guy that Mangini would have traded down and selected him at the end of the first round.  BTW he would have pocketed 7 extra seventh round picks in the process)

4.  Sam Acho is an academic All American.  But not once - he is a two-time Academic All-American.

5.   Other key character awards include his inclusion in the 2010 AFCA Good Works Team, and a 2010 National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete.  In addition, he goes to where the action is.   Acho made several medical mission trips to his parents' native country of Nigeria.  He assisted his father and approximately 40 doctors by providing medical treatment to Nigerians who may only have access to a doctor once a year.  (Insert all Nigerian medical jokes here)

6.  But if you think this guy is "too nice a guy" he flips the switch and delivers on the field.   He has a tremendous motor and "nose for the football".  His five fumble recoveries led the nation and tied the UT single-season record .

7.  He makes things hapen and is a sack specialist.   In 26 starts he posted 148 tackles, 23.5 sacks (10th on UT's career list) 37 TFL, 44 pressures, eight PBD, eight forced fumbles and nine fumble recoveries (second on UT's career list) in his career.  He would likely lead the Browns in sacks in his first year.

8.  He received accolades for his football play.  He was a 2010 unanimous first-team All-Big 12 selection.

9.  Natiional accolades as well.   He was recognized as second-team All-America by the Walter Camp Football Foundation and third-team All-America by the Associated Press in 2010.  So basically, based on football production he was a prox top 4 or 5 DE in the country.   This after the Longhorns were 5-7 which had to hurt Sam on the national scene. 

10.  Was a finalist and semifinalists for some prestigious athletic only awards.  A finalist for the 2010 Lott IMPACT Trophy and Lowe's Senior CLASS Award ... a 2010 Lombardi Award semifinalist.

So 1 final question.  If Sam Acho is all that - why will he go in round 3?  He bascially has first round motor, first round quickness, first round character, and about 4th fifth round size.  He will need to add 10 lbs of muscle to get to 270 without affecting his quickness.  But this kid is like Colt in the fact that he has been underestimated his whole life.  He played football in a private school in Dallas Texas.  Private school in Texas is not like private school in Ohio.  All the big boys play in the public schools that have campuses in the size of 6K students.  He was a 3 star recruit like Colt.  Like Colt - he will make Mike Holmgren very happy with a 3rd round pick.