Per GoBearcats:
Cincinnati football defensive tackle Jowon Briggs was selected on Saturday by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round (No. 243 overall) of the 2024 NFL Draft.
The selection of Briggs extended the Bearcats’ draft streak to nine consecutive years – since 2016. He is the 17th UC defensive lineman drafted all-time and the 12th since 2000.
“I’m excited for Jowon and his family to realize his dream of playing in the NFL,” head coach Scott Satterfield said. “I fully expect him to make an impact with the Browns because he already has carried himself like a pro for years. He has an outstanding work ethic and was a great leader for us. He’s also one of the strongest players I’ve ever been around. I look forward to watching him play on Sundays.”
The Cincinnati native is the 13th Bearcat selected from the historic 2021 College Football Playoff Team.
He is the first Bearcat picked by the Browns since Jerome Ford in 2022. Briggs also joins Ford, James Hudson III and Justin Murray as former Bearcats in Cleveland.
After starring at Walnut Hills High School, Briggs played two seasons at Virginia before transferring back home and immediately settling in as an impact player for the Bearcats during the 2021 season, helping UC to an undefeated regular season, AAC Championship and Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic appearance.
He started the final 25 games of his career at defensive tackle, collecting All-AAC First Team accolades in 2022 before nabbing All-Big 12 honorable mention honors in 2023.
At UC, he finished with 129 tackles, 14.5 TFLs and eight sacks over 39 games, including 30 starts.
For his collegiate career (UC and Virginia combined), he finished with 168 stops, 21.5 TFLs and 12 sacks over 59 games with 44 starts.
The 22-year-old married father of three recorded 38 bench press reps at the Big 12 Pro Day – the most of any player in this year’s draft class.
Briggs would join Curtis Brooks (Colts, sixth round, 2022) and Cortez Broughton (Chargers, seventh round, 2019) as recent defensive tackles selected in the NFL Draft.
Additionally, the Bearcats have had 16 players drafted since 2021.
