Sunday Dawg Chow: Browns news (3/6/22)

Cleveland Browns:

• To all the die-hard Cleveland Browns fans, Nick Zakelj has a confession: He’s one of you (Beacon Journal) - Nick Zakelj was in church with his family on Christmas Eve in 2016, but he couldn’t resist peeking at the phone. He and his older brother Matt had to know whether the Browns would avoid a winless season.
• Arkansas WR Treylon Burks has size, strength and unique skills off field (Browns Zone) - Toughness and loyalty are desirable, and often rare, traits in a receiver. His hunting story and arm art indicate Arkansas’ Treylon Burks is set in both departments. Growing up in Warren, Ark., Burks was raised fishing and hunting deer and wild hogs. Yes, hogs.
• Ohio State DE Tyreke Smith would love chance to start NFL career in his hometown (clevelandbrowns.com) - Tyreke Smith wants to come home. Smith, a Cleveland Heights native, would welcome an opportunity to start an NFL career in Cleveland and play for the team he grew up watching for as long as he can remember. Smith is a Browns fan at heart, and he’d love to take his first NFL snaps in an orange helmet after wearing a scarlet and gray one as an edge rusher at Ohio State for the last four years.
• Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson could be pick to boost Baker Mayfield, Browns’ passing attack (ESPN) - Shortly after being drafted by the Browns in 2018, Baker Mayfield was back in Austin, Texas, watching his high school alma mater’s spring practice. One player in particular stood out to Mayfield — wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who by then had committed to play for Ohio State.

NFL:

• Jermaine Johnson rises from community college to potential top-10 NFL pick (Atlanta Journal-Constitution) - Jermaine Johnson left Georgia for a greater opportunity. Then the pass rusher made the most of it, so much so that he might be a top-10 pick in the NFL draft in April.
• No regrets: Fan will continue to get tattoos until Baltimore Ravens win Super Bowl (ESPN) - For many Baltimore Ravens fans, the 2021 season was one to forget. For Nic Cullison, the Ravens’ last-place finish will forever be etched in his memory — and on his right leg.
• DT prospect Jordan Davis posts stunning 4.78 40-yard dash at 341 pounds on Day 3 of NFL Combine (NFL.com) - Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis kicked off Day 3 at the NFL Scouting Combine with a truly jaw-dropping moment. At 341 pounds, Davis ran a 4.78-second 40-yard dash, creating a stir at Lucas Oil Stadium and beyond with a freakish display of speed for a player of his size. His first run was unofficially clocked at 4.82 but the official time was even better. Not surprisingly, he decided not to run a second attempt, even though the official time had not yet been released.
• Best linebackers available in the 2022 NFL Draft and free agency (PFF) - The Super Bowl is done and dusted, which means all 32 NFL teams are firmly into team-building season. The 2022 NFL offseason is all about 31 teams trying to build a roster capable of winning next year’s Super Bowl while the defending champions make sure they can retain their crown. This series will look at each position group and where the strengths lie in each of those areas for any teams in need. Today, we turn our attention to linebackers.