KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Seeking more reinforcements for their rebuilding defensive line, the Browns went out and got a defensive tackle in the third round of this year's NFL draft.
Cleveland selected Baylor DT Siaki Ika with the 98th overall pick Friday night, signaling a continued shift within the team's interior defense. The club had already inked Dalvin Tomlinson and Maurice Hurst in free agency.
A two-time first-team All-Big 12 selection, Ika arrived in Waco after transferring from LSU and tallied eight tackles for loss and 3 1/2 sacks in two seasons with the Bears. Pro Football Focus rated him as a third-round prospect and described him as "your 358-pounder who can still somehow make centers and guards miss one on one."
Ika could be an immediate contributor on the front four, which is undergoing a major overhaul in light of the Browns having one of the worst run defenses in the league in 2022. Besides Tomlinson and Hurst, Cleveland also brought in edge rusher Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.