BEREA, Ohio – For a kid who grew up playing a sport that discourages the use of hands, Pierre Desir has developed into quite the ball hawk.

The Haitian-born cornerback intercepted 25 passes over four seasons at two small colleges. His production and size made him a target for the Browns on Saturday in the fourth round of the 2014 NFL Draft.

Two days after using their first pick to acquire Oklahoma State corner Justin Gilbert, the Browns added Desir, a converted soccer player, with the No. 127 overall selection.

While the Browns are not addressing a perceived need for receivers in the draft they keep collecting players who can cover them. The 6-foot-1, 198-pound Desir parlayed a strong senior season at Division II Lindenwood (Mo.) into invites to the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl.

“My strengths as a corner are my size, my length,” said Desir, recipient of the Cliff Harris Award, presented annually to the best small-college defender. “Besides that, I would say it would be the ability to attack the ball out of the air and just my overall ball skills.”

Desir and Gilbert are both at least 6-feet tall, which is becoming en vogue following the success of the Seattle Seahawks’ Richard Sherman (6-3) and Byron Maxwell (6-1).

“When you're long, it gives you a lot bigger margin for error,” Browns scout Chisom Opara said. “You don't have to be as perfect with your feet or your hips, but if you're close enough where your length can make up that difference, then there is some value to that. I think with our first-round pick and with Pierre we're able to accomplish that.”

Desir's back story helped make him a subject of ESPN's series Draft Academy, which chronicles prospects' journeys to the NFL.

The family emigrated from Haiti to escape political tumult when Desir was age 4. He didn’t start playing football until his freshman year in high school in St Charles, Mo. Academic issues kept him off the radar of large schools and he played two years at Washburn (Kans.) University.

Desir, who became a father at age 16, wanted to transfer closer to home with his wife and two daughters, but Washburn would not let him out of his scholarship. He opted to walk on at Lindenwood and work a variety of jobs -- everything from janitor to selling communication products to provide from his family.

"When you have a guy from a small school and the cards are stacked against him, one thing you do look for are those 'make it' intangibles or reasons why you would think that if we take a shot on this guy, this guy will succeed," Opara said. "In talking to the coaches there and in talking to the support staff there, and then meeting the kid at the all-star game, this kid seems like he's wired the right way for success."

Desir is making a big jump from Division II to the NFL, and needs to improve his technique and sharpen his instincts.

When assessing small-college talent, scouts want to see dramatic separation between prospect and competition. The Browns said they witnessed it with Desir.

“As the process unfolded,” Opara said, “this guy kind of checked off a lot of boxes as far as the questions that you may have of a guy from a small school.”