Cleveland Browns draft profile: Reggie Ragland
By Thomas Moore
The Cleveland Browns can’t stop the run on defense. Alabama inside linebacker Reggie Ragland could be an answer come draft night.
It has been well-documented that the Cleveland Browns have had an issue with their quarterbacks dating back to November of 1993.
But that particular problem has masked one that has been every bit as vexing for the team to solve – the run defense.
Since 2006, the Browns have finished 27th or worse against the run eight times. They bottomed out the past two seasons, finishing 30th in 2015 and 32nd in 2014.
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The team has returned to defensive coordinator Ray Horton to help fix the problem. The Browns were 18th against the run when Horton last ran the defense in 2013 – their highest ranking in the past decade – but that still is not good enough to get it done, even if the NFL has become a passing league.
While the Browns have hopes for third-year linebacker Christian Kirksey, and signed linebackers Justin Tuggle and Demario Davis in free agency (both of whom are, if nothing else, younger than Karlos Dansby), the team still needs to do more at inside linebacker if they hope to finally fix their problems against the run.
With 10 picks in the upcoming 2016 NFL Draft, the Browns have the assets to spend on help at the inside linebacker position and possibly acquire a player that can truly make an impact.
Next: Alabama Inside Linebacker Reggie Ragland