Baron Browning vs Pete Werner: Which LB makes more sense for Cowboys?

The Dallas Cowboys went from being said to have the best linebacker tandem in the NFL in 2018, to it being possibly the most unresolved position on the entire team. Dallas has multiple free agents at the position, and the long term future of both Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch are in question. Smith could be a post-June 1 cut to save over $6 million on the cap and a decision on Leighton getting his fifth-year option picked up is still up in the air. Even if both return, the team needs an infusion of good young LB talent and there’s no better place to find that then the 2021 NFL Draft. The question for the Cowboys is who should the team target?

This will be a recurring series to debate which of two prospects is the best fit for the Cowboys. This edition will be between two Ohio State LBs, Baron Browning and Pete Werner and will feature Dan Ruppert of Buckeyes Wire.

Browning stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 240 pounds. In the Buckeyes shortened seven-game season he had 29 tackles including three for loss and one sack and had two pass deflections and two forced fumbles. Werner also stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 242 pounds. In eight games he had 54 tackles including two for loss and one sack with one pass deflection and two forced fumbles of his own.

Dan Ruppert: Browning is the perfect choice

Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Baron Browning (5) hits Indiana Hoosiers wide receiver Ty Fryfogle (3)

Baron Browning has all the upside and physical tools the Cowboys could want at the linebacker spot. Easily the most physically gifted linebacker for the Ohio State Buckeyes this season, Browning offers more for the needs of Dallas than any of the other three linebackers coming out of Ohio State in this draft class (Justin Hilliard, Tuf Borland, Werner). His ceiling and where he currently is as a prospect, should be more than enough to make the Cowboys take a shot on him in the second round.

Mike Crum: Pete Werner is a better fit

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Pete Werner Isn’t the prospect Browning is, that's fair. He doesn’t have the athleticism scouts may favor. Werner’s flashes may not be as dynamic as Browning’s and on ceiling alone teams might take Browner a round earlier. What Werner is though, is exactly what the Cowboys actually need right now. While Browning is the type of off-ball linebacker who may need to be kept clean up front to be most effective at the NFL level, Werner can play the run game through contact. He is basically the same size as Browning but Werner has been better at taking on blocks & playing through late, lateral contact. If he gets a guy heads up he finishes them.

Ruppert: Browning's run-defense traits

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The Cowboys were a bottom-three defense against the run in a multitude of statistics, including yards per carry, runs of twenty yards or more allowed and rushing first downs allowed. Browning enters as a perfect fit for the Cowboys because run support is his hallmark. His 81-inch wingspan and 33-inch arms place him above the 90th percentile for off-ball linebackers in the NFL.

If Browning sees the ball carrier and gets to the ball carrier, the ball carrier will most likely be tackled. Missed tackles at the second level were a huge problem for Dallas this past season and Browning would help towards fixing that issue.

Crum: Werner better run defense fit in Dallas

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Browning is a perfect fit? but Ohio State asked Werner to play more stack LB, filling the gaps between DT and DE and he’s one of the better LBs in the draft in that area. As said by a very smart writer on Buckeyes Wire, “What Werner does well is shoot gaps and gets to the ball.” Dan Quinn often asks that of his LBs as well in his Cover 3 scheme. Werner also controls the point well on outside runs, forcing the ball back inside consistently.

Ruppert: Browning impacts all areas of defense

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Browning is adept at shooting gaps, and causing disruption in the run game as well, but look at everything else he adds besides run defense. He has pass-rush ability as a blitzer; he isn’t as impactful as an edge rusher. He can get sideline-to-sideline quickly and his agility can help push ball carriers inside as he can cut off angles. Get Browning into a gap and watch him work against the run or on a blitz. In a Cover 3 scheme Browning is a perfect will linebacker who can play the short zone and be asked to come down in run support. His speed will help the Cowboys keep from being so susceptible to being spread out. He can and will cover ground quickly to counter those offensive sets.

Crum: Werner pass coverage

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Browning needs a little work with his processing speed and while he has the physical tools to be good in coverage, he might need a year before a team can full rely on him. In Werner’s career at Ohio State he played all over the field, even some safety early on. He has more athleticism than most 240-pound LBs, with the lateral agility to hold up at either OLB spot in a 4-3. Ohio State often played Werner at Sam, right over the top of tight ends. He played underneath routes rather well, whether it was rerouting or transitioning in to coverage. While not the guy to be consistently running the seams with the likes of Noah Fant, he can play physical with most TEs and will not be a mismatch who is exploited regularly versus any type of TE. Keep him in mostly zone, as a Sam or Will LB, and he will be very capable of staying on the field and producing on all three downs.

Ruppert's Conclusion

A pass to Michigan State's Tre Mosley, left, is broken up by Ohio State's Baron Browning during the fourth quarter.

An all around stellar LB who can impact the game at all levels is exactly what these Cowboys defense needs. A 6-foot-3, 241 pound linebacker with lateral mobility, and a huge tackle radius. Browning can help stop the run and is not a liability in zone. Browning's ceiling is a three-down linebacker who can force teams to have to account for blocking him on a possible blitz as well. While he may not be as overly physical as Werner he has the speed and agility to more than make up for the gap.

Crum's conclusion

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The Dallas Cowboys need a three-down LB that can help shore up this bad run defense by holding up in his gap, and also not be a liability in coverage. A LB who’s main weaknesses (over pursuing a run play, reading false keys occasionally) are fixable with coaching and experience. KJ Wright is a good comparison for Werner. At 6-foot-4, 246 pounds, he’s a bigger LB, picked in the fourth round, that ended up being a Pro Bowl and All Pro team player in the same system Cowboys are slated to run in 2021.

Mike Crum can be found on Twitter @cdpiglet or @ATBCowboysPod. Dan Ruppert can be found @Dan_Ruppert and writing at Sport DFW and Buckeyes Wire.

https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/dallas-cowboys-2021-nfl-draft-mock-draft-roundup-feb-22-2021/ https://cowboyswire.usatoday.com/lists/dallas-cowboys-4-round-mock-draft-2021-nfl-draft-penei-sewell-richie-grant/

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