Cleveland Browns: Steve Wilks calls Jermaine Whitehead a defensive leader

The Cleveland Browns are really excited about safety Jermaine Whitehead who was a surprise name mentioned as a leader by defensive coordinator Steve Wilks

Heading into 2019, the Cleveland Browns will look much different on defense. After two seasons of Gregg Williams calling the shots on that side of the ball, the Browns will now be turning to Steve Wilks who was the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018.

Before that, Wilks was with the Carolina Panthers as a defensive backs coach who worked his way up to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. During his time with Carolina, which went back to 2012, Wilks was part of a strong defense and hopes to bring the same toughness and consistency to Cleveland.

Part of doing that will be finding team leaders who can show their teammates the right way to get things done. However, according to Wilks, those leaders don’t always have to be the star players.

While recently talking about finding defensive leaders in 2019, Wilks said that players such as Myles Garrett and Denzel Ward are considered team leaders due to their talent. He then mentioned safety Jermaine Whitehead, who he said is an intelligent player that takes control on the field which makes him someone to look up to.

Wilks then applauded the communication of Whitehead, saying that he’s a player who makes sure that his teammates are all lining up where they’re supposed to. That’s a huge job for a safety, who is often times in the best position to see the whole field and therefore vital the success of a defense.

Undrafted out of Auburn in 2015, Whitehead began his career with the San Francisco 49ers before being signed off their practice squad by the Baltimore Ravens. He then spent 2016 and 2017 with the Green Bay Packers but was waived by them after seven games in 2018.

Cleveland claimed him and he had four tackles in their final seven games. Even with his limited experience, the Browns have been intrigued by him as he’s become a name to watch in training camp and the preseason.