Cleveland Browns: What is Danny Shelton's best position?

The Cleveland Browns did not see the expected performance from Danny Shelton in 2015. Could it be that he just needs to play a different role on defense?

The Cleveland Browns selected Danny Shelton in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft with the idea that he would anchor the defensive line from the nose tackle position.

Shelton excelled as a three-down player in college with the Washington Huskies, especially his senior year when he played 958 defensive snaps and had 48 quarterback disruptions, according to Pro Football Focus.

Those numbers dropped during Shelton’s rookie year with the Browns, however, as he was on the field for just 13 plays when the defense put the opposing offense into a 3rd-and-6 or longer situation.

Part of that may have been due to Shelton’s weight gain, which saw him add somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 pounds to his college playing weight of 339 pounds. Shelton has worked to lose that weight heading into his second year and everyone surrounding the team is enthusiastic about that.

While getting his weight down should certainly help, what if the bigger problem with Shelton’s rookie year is that nose tackle isn’t his best position?

Neil Hornsby at Pro Football Focus floated the idea that Shelton may be better off assuming a Vince Wilfork-type role for the Browns:

"The Danny Shelton who played his rookie season at nose tackle for the Browns in 2015 bore little resemblance to the one who dominated for the Washington Huskies the previous year. In college Shelton was notorious for his speed off the ball and his hustle in chasing plays down from behind. For a man his size (he weighed 339 pounds at the combine), he was a very good athlete."

"Shelton had 316 of his 514 snaps either directly over the center (NT) or shading one side or the other (NLT or NRT), and this may not even be his best position. It’s possible he may be better at 3-technique DT in a four-man line or 5-technique DE in a three-man line, as Vince Wilfork did for the Patriots towards the end of his career, using his speed and athleticism to get up the field rather than constantly reading and reacting."

It is an interesting proposition and one that the Browns should consider, although they may not be entirely sold on it as they continue to figure out Shelton’s strengths.

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“I see him being more than a first- and second-down player. Will he be in on every nickel package situation? No, but he will be in there against certain people,” defensive line coach Robert Nunn told the team’s website. “When we get in a situation where there are certain guards that struggle blocking certain guys like Danny, he will be in the package if he stays right where he is from a mental standpoint and a physical standpoint.

“The guy has a special talent. To be that big and to move as quick as he can, all he’s got to do is stick with the process and keep improving his hands, keep improving his pad level and keep improving his footwork. The sky’s the limit for Danny.”

Say what you will about defensive coordinator Ray Horton and the continued ineffectiveness of his defenses, but Horton has never been afraid to mix things up, so there should be plenty of opportunities for Shelton to move around on the defensive line.

Next: Is there a 1,000-yard rusher on the Browns?

In doing so, the Browns and Shelton just may find the best position for him is not what they expected.

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Cleveland Browns: What is Danny Shelton’s best position?

By Thomas Moore | Jun 19, 2016

The Cleveland Browns did not see the expected performance from Danny Shelton in 2015. Could it be that he just needs to play a different role on defense?

More from Dawg Pound Daily