Oklahoma's Perrion Winfrey chosen by Cleveland Browns with No. 108 pick in 2022 NFL Draft

BEREA — Pacing. Sweating. Barking.

To say new Browns defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey was fired up Saturday when he spoke to reporters on Zoom would be an understatement.

“This is how I wake up — juiced up," Winfrey said. "To be honest, I just woke up at 10:40 a.m. It's 11:30 a.m., and I'm juiced. No coffee needed.”

The Browns addressed a big need on the interior of their defensive line by picking the University of Oklahoma's Winfrey in the fourth round (No. 108 overall) of the NFL Draft.

"I'm coming in to kill right away with my boys," Winfrey said. "I'm lined up next to [defensive end] Myles Garrett, the best defensive end in the game. We're fixing to take this over. It's over with. I'm telling you it's over with.

"I'm going to come in and work every single day until I can’t work anymore. They will feel me every single day. I'm going to give it my all on and off the field. Anything that's a negative in my game, I will turn it into a positive by the beginning of the season.”

2022 NFL Draft: Perrion Winfrey could change mood among Browns defensive tackles

The Cleveland Browns will use Perrion Winfrey at three-technique

Browns director of player personnel Dan Saganey noted Winfrey is extremely passionate.

“I think the Dawg Pound is going to love him," Saganey said. "He's a high-energy player all day, and he loves football.”

Winfrey, 21, started at nose tackle the past two seasons at Oklahoma, but he and the Browns agree his best position in the NFL will be three-technique, where he's expected to compete for a starting job right away.

"He's an up-field penetrator all day," Saganey said. "You can put that guy over the center. You can put him over a guard. You can really try to cut the offense in half. His skill set is fun to watch. I think he fits projecting him to a true three-tech spot here.

"I love his game. Perrion is a guy who's a great scheme fit for us as far as coming off the ball. He plays with violence. He plays with quickness, speed and power. He's an up-the-field, penetrating type of player as a three-technique."

Browns rookie Perrion Winfrey says he's had to work for everything in life

The Most Valuable Player of the Senior Bowl in February, Winfrey spent the past two seasons with Oklahoma after going the junior college route at Iowa Western Community College.

“I'm a JUCO baby like [Green Packers quarterback] Aaron Rodgers," said Winfrey, who was an academic nonqualifier for Division I coming out of Lake Park High School on the West Side of Chicago. “... That adversity shaped me in a positive way."

Winfrey said he "was born into being a dawg because my parents were already dawgs when I was conceived."

Winfrey said he learned the value of hard work from his upbringing and the Browns will need to drag him out of team headquarters once he arrives in Northeast Ohio.

“I come from nothing. I've never had anything," Winfrey added. "Anything in my life that I have to get, I had to go and get it. Nothing was ever given to me. That's where this comes from — this grit, this passion and everything about me. I've never had anything. Anything that I've ever had to get, it had to be taken, so that's why I live my life the way that I live it.”

As a senior last season, Winfrey started all 12 games in which he appeared and tallied 23 tackles, including 11 for a loss, 5½ sacks, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. He sat out the Alamo Bowl after declaring for the draft. He was voted second-team All-Big 12 by the conference's coaches and the Associated Press.

In 2020, Winfrey started eight of 11 games for the Sooners and had 19 tackles, including six for a loss, a half sack and three pass breakups. He was voted second-team All-Big 12 by the conference's coaches.

Winfrey expected to be picked earlier. In the buildup to the draft, Calvin Thibodeaux, Oklahoma's defensive line coach the past six seasons, told the Beacon Journal he had consistently heard Winfrey would likely become a second-round pick.

“I expected to go early, but to be honest, I needed this," Winfrey said. "This was a wake-up call, and this gave me all of the fuel and all of the fire I needed to come into the league and dominate, so I would not change a thing.

"The Lord saw fit for me to be [drafted by the Browns] today. I'm a dawg now, though. I'm a dawg now. I can’t complain.”

General Manager Andrew Berry revealed the Browns were surprised they were able to draft Winfrey where they did.

“We did think that he went later than what we would have assumed,” Berry said. “We were happy that he was there. We think that he is a really good fit in our scheme as an up-field, gap-shooting three-tech.”

Winfrey is a friend of Browns cornerback Greg Newsome II, a first-round pick in last year's draft. They played each other in high school.

“We've always supported each other’s careers," Winfrey said. "We've always been close friends. He texted me yesterday, and he said, ‘I want you to be a dawg.’ Come on now. I am a dawg now. It's over with.”

Perrion Winfrey eager to partner with Browns All-Pro Myles Garrett

Winfrey said he has never met Garrett, an All-Pro selection the past two seasons.

“I'll look to the left of me, and I have No. 95 right there," Winfrey said. "Oh, it's over with. Oh, it's over with. Every third down, every second down, every first down, man, we're going to get that ball — I'm telling you.”

Thibodeaux said Winfrey can change the mood of a meeting, practice or game with his presence.

“I take extreme pride in being able to encourage my teammates around me," Winfrey said. "If I'm not juiced up, my teammates are not going to be juiced up, so that's one thing that I do everything to make sure that I'm bringing the juice, the intensity and the energy, so the rest of my boys could go live.”

When Winfrey ended his Zoom with Browns beat writers, he signed off by letting out a "woof!"

Nate Ulrich can be reached at nulrich@thebeaconjournal.com.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns pick Senior Bowl MVP Perrion Winfrey in 2022 NFL Draft