Company

In a year in which the Browns didn’t have a pick in the first three rounds, many fans watching the second day probably felt like the construction workers from the movie Major League who made the above title their fun little catch phrase. I know I sure did for some of these picks. This week we’ll take a look at each of the Browns day two selections. Enjoy.

Ahtyba Rubin – DL – Iowa St.
At the end of last season, much of the fans’ blame for the Browns failure to make the playoffs was placed on two people: Derek Anderson for his decline in December, and Colts back up QB Jim Sorgi for actually having the gall to play like a backup quarterback against the Titans in week 17. Lost in the blame game was the fact that the Browns were stripped down to their bare bones on the defensive line for the stretch run. Willie McGinest was playing defensive tackle (!), others were either ineffective or on injured reserve, while others were signed out from under the bridges downtown and put in a uniform just so the team could have the minimum requirement.
Once GM Phil Savage addressed the needs of fortifying the line with trades for Corey Williams and Shaun Rogers, the team was now freely able to select linemen with good potential they could develop without having to rush him into the lineup. Enter Ahtyba Rubin.

Strengths
At 6-foot-2 and nearly 320 pounds, Rubin has a wide and powerful body frame with good upper body strength (35 reps at the combine). Has pretty decent quickness for a player of his size. He has been rumored to out eat small grizzly bears near the Iowa State campus. Rubin totaled 42 tackles and 2 sacks in his final year at Iowa St.

Weaknesses
Isn’t much of a pass rusher and is somewhat underdeveloped as a football player. It looks like he may fit into the category as a “project” player for the Browns. Rubin’s stamina is questionable at times. May be considered slow considering his 5.18 time at the combine, but what do you expect? The guy weighs 319.

Outlook
The Browns may have gotten a steal in the 6th round in Ahtyba Rubin as he was projected by some to go early on the second day of the draft. With his size, strength, and skill set, Rubin has the potential to provide good depth on the Browns defensive line at the NT position. He seems to be a great fit for the 3-4 and could end up as another Shaun Smith if he develops. Hey, considering the team had Willie McGinest playing the postion at times late last year, this is a depth pick we should all be happy with if you ask me.

Did you know?
Before transferring to Iowa State, Rubin attended Trinity Valley CC in Texas which is the same school another former Cleveland sports fatty “attended.” That athlete was former Cavaliers blimp Shawn Kemp.