Cleveland Browns: Loaded safety class can help improve the secondary

The Cleveland Browns must improve their secondary in 2017, and there are plenty of safeties in the 2017 NFL Draft who could help the cause.

The 2017 draft class offers a deep crop of safety prospects that can make an immediate impact at the next level. The Cleveland Browns have a need at both the free safety and strong safety spot.

The free safety position is known as the last line of defense in the secondary and his main responsibility is letting no receiver get deeper than him, and to play aggressively against the pass. Defenses covet a ball-hawking playmaker at this spot that can create and force turnovers in a hurry. The free safety will also be required to fill on run plays.

The strong safety is responsible for more in the run game. Simply put, in today’s NFL the strong safety is a faster version of a linebacker. They are asked to bring a strong physical presence against the run. In the pass game they are required to cover faster tight ends and running backs that cause mismatch problems for linebackers.

The best duo in the league is Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks. Both players complement each other perfectly as Thomas has free range in the secondary to read the quarterback and break on passes where as Chancellor is assigned to more specific coverages and is asked to be an additional linebacker against the run.

The Browns secondary lacks playmakers that are capable of changing the outcome of a game. All season long the Browns defense struggled containing opposing teams running backs and tight ends in the passing game. In addition, the Browns safeties had zero combined interceptions. To become a more dynamic defense the Browns must look to the 2017 Draft to add a new dimension to the defense.