Chances are, if the Browns retain their No. 1 overall pick, it will be used on Myles Garrett.
But the former Texas A&M edge rusher isn’t the only defensive prospect on whom the franchise appears high.
Malik Hooker, the dynamic safety from Ohio State, will visit the Browns’ facility on Friday, he told ESPN 850 WKNR in Cleveland. There reportedly is serious interest in his quick visit becoming a long-lasting one; however, it seems unlikely Hooker would be the choice over Garrett at No. 1 or available when Cleveland is on the clock again at No. 12.
That leaves a first-round trade, back or up, as the best scenario in which Hooker becomes a Brown.
According to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com, the Browns are “considering him in the first round of the draft. They’ve spent a lot of time on him and have expressed as much interest as any team in the league,” Cabot reported, citing sources.
While Hooker will visit the Browns, he won’t appear at the NFL Draft.
He has declined the league’s invitation to attend the Philadelphia event, he told PFT Live on Thursday.