It turns out that Boston College defensive tackle B.J. Raji did not, after all, test positive for marijuana at the Combine in Indy. His draft stock has consequently moved up to the top 10.
The Browns may consider Raji with the fifth overall pick. We would rather see Texas Longhorn defensive end Brian Orakpo or Wake Forrest linebacker Aaron Curry, however, we would certainly put Raji far ahead of either Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree or USC Trojan quarterback Mark Sanchez.
Raji's strengths include his size (6 foot two inches and about 335 pounds), his awesome ability to stuff the run and his versatility. In 2008, Raji amassed 42 tackles, 16 tackles for a loss and 8 sacks. In a sense, he is a more complete player than pass rush specialist Orakpo or tackler Curry because of his ability to defend against the run and rush the quarterback. He would fit our 3-4 defensive scheme quite nicely, although the Browns would have to decide whether to keep "Big Baby" Shaun Rogers at the nose tackle position or move Rogers down the line and put Raji opposite the center.
Raji's weaknesses, however, put him behind Orakpo and Curry in our opinion. His weight is a problem. He has mushroomed in the past to over 350 pounds. His conditioning regiment is not the best. His motivation and discipline have been questioned. For example, he missed an entire season with the Eagles because of poor academics. He was also suspended for a game for punching an opposing player. He has rather short arms and is not quite as tall as would be ideal for his position. Having said all of that, Raji is a solid selection.
ENJOY THE DRAFT. GO BROWNS!
-Clayton
Devo's Cleveland Browns
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