Cleveland Browns sign 3rd round draft pick, LB Sione Takitaki

The Cleveland Browns signed linebacker Sione Takitaki on Friday, giving the team all seven of its 2019 draft selections under contract.

Takitaki was a third-round selection (No. 80 overall) out of BYU, where he was a full-time starter that past two seasons. The 6-foot-1 and 268-pound Takitaki was primarily a defensive end for the Cougars in 2017, finishing with 79 tackles, five sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss, before moving to linebacker in 2018. He also a team captain that year, and lead the Cougars in tackles with 188, which included three sacks and nine tackles for loss.

At one point in his college career it looked as if Takitaki would not even make it through BYU as he was suspended on four separate occasions, most notably for allegedly stealing property while working as a campus custodian.

He was able to pull it together - crediting his wife for helping him get on the right path - and is now a member of the Browns, where he will compete for playing time at middle linebacker.

Takitaki’s contract will be worth a little more than $3.4 million, with a signing bonus of $960,872 over four years, according to Over The Cap’s predetermined draft chart.