The Cleveland Browns added a lot of talent to the roster in the 2017 NFL Draft. Here are some early predictions for the starting defense.
The Cleveland Browns were a mess on defense in 2016.
Under former defensive coordinator Ray Horton, the defense was bad – even by Horton’s low standards – as they finished the season:
- 31st in the NFL in touchdown passes allowed with 36
- 30th in points per game at 28.2
- 30th in sacks with 26
- 31st against the run at 142.7 yards per game
- 28th in average run per carry at 4.6
Related: What are the Browns getting in Gregg Williams?
Head coach Hue Jackson moved quickly on the problem after the season, relieving Horton of his duties and hiring defensive coordinator Gregg Williams.
The team also re-signed linebacker Jamie Collins, and did additional work in the draft, selecting five defensive players overall: defensive end Myles Garrett, safety Jabrill Peppers, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi, cornerback Howard Wilson and defensive tackle Caleb Brantley.
Cleveland’s defense will have a different look to it this fall, but will the production stay the same? Let’s take a look at the unit and figure out who the starters will be when the regular season opens in September.
The defensive line will be a young group, with Danny Shelton, Jamie Meder and Xavier Cooper, who are all entering their third year, being the “veterans” of the group.
Here is how the starting defensive will shake out in Williams’ 4-3 base defense.
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Defensive End: Myles Garrett; Emanuel Ogbah
Oh baby! Fans got to see the potential in Ogbah last season with his 5.5 sacks, and now they get to see even more potential in Garrett, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2017 NFL Draft.
These two players coming off the edge will give quarterbacks fits and bruises for seasons to come. Don’t over think this. If Ogbah plays like he did last season and Garrett plays like he should, then this team could end up having the best pair of pass rushers in the league.
Related: Browns select Myles Garrett at No. 1
Defensive Tackle: Danny Shelton; Larry Ogunjobi
Danny Shelton is obvious. He’s been solid at stopping the run, but has underachieved in pass rush with only 1.5 sacks in his career. The good news is that under the team’s new 4-3 defensive scheme, he won’t be the total focus of the center and guards as he will have an additional tackle partner to play along side. His numbers should improve.
Related: Browns select Larry Ogunjobi
In the case of Ogunjobi, this pick remains to be seen. Ogunjobi is a 6-foot-3 and 305-pound tackle out of UNC-Charlotte. In his collegiate career, he totaled an impressive 217 tackles, 13 sacks, 49 tackles for loss and 33 quarterback hurries (all school records).
However, he’ll get some stiff competition from fellow rookie Caleb Brantley who, if it weren’t for off-field issues, might have been a first-round pick, making him a great value. However, if these issues don’t clear up, there’s speculation that the team could cut him. If he’s cleared, then Brantley will probably win the job, but because legal issues can take time to sort out, let’s go with Ogunjobi as the starter for now.
While the Browns will use a 4-3 defense as their base defense, the fact that the NFL is a passing league means that defenses now spend a large amount of time in a nickel defense. Teams that have two talented linebackers have an edge, meaning the Browns should be in good shape.
Outside Linebacker: Jamie Collins; Demario Davis
Jamie Collins is the obvious one. The Browns gave him a four-year, $50 million contract in the offseason and he is arguably the team’s best overall player on defense. Collins is a great player and Browns fans everywhere are smiling. In a 4-3 scheme, Collins will likely play the SAM, or strong side, linebacker spot.
In the case of the WILL, or weak side, linebacker, look for veteran Demario Davis to earn the nod. Davis, who can play all three linebacker positions, is a good asset to have on the roster. His biggest competition for the starter job will probably come from Joe Schobert, but Davis is more ready to start at the spot.
Middle Linebacker: Christian Kirksey
Christian Kirksey is coming off a great season with 148 tackles, which was the third most in the league. Kirksey has the potential to be among the elite middle linebackers in the league, and even with the defensive scheme change to a 4-3, his role won’t be all too different from before.
The secondary was the weakest spot on the defense in 2016, as cornerback Joe Haden played through a groin injury, age caught up with cornerback Tramon Williams, and the safeties were less than effective.
A healthy Haden and the addition of Jabrill Peppers, should go a long way toward bringing this position group back to respectability.
Cleveland Browns
Cornerback: Joe Haden; Jamar Taylor
Joe Haden can be the team’s best secondary player – if he is healthy. After seeing most of his 2015 season wiped out by injury, Haden started to return to form last season with three interceptions.
Related: Jamar Taylor earns most-improved honors from PFF
The Browns acquired Jamar Taylor in a trade during the 2016 NFL Draft for a late-round pick, and Taylor played like a scorned ex-girlfriend, getting two interceptions and breaking up eight passes.
Taylor and Haden could form one of the better cornerback duos in the league if everything breaks right. Adding Howard Wilson in the draft gives the Browns more depth, especially at the slot position where Wilson will compete for playing time with Briean Boddy-Calhoun.
The Browns should be expecting a lot from Taylor and Haden leading the secondary this year.
Related: Browns select Jabrill Peppers
Safety: Ed Reynolds; Jabrill Peppers
Some believe Jabrill Pepper was a reach in the first round, but there’s no doubting his skills and elite athleticism. While he could potentially play outside linebacker, the Browns appear content to put him at safety. He needs to improve his coverage skills if he wants to make it as a starting NFL safety, but Peppers certainly has the skills to do it. If there is anything to look forward to with Peppers, it is his ability as a punt returner, which is one reason some had him as first-round pick.
If Ed Reynolds wants to stay the starter and succeed as a free safety, he’ll need to play better. He played well with Philadelphia, but when he arrived in Cleveland his coverage skills deteriorated. If he can get back to it then he can succeed. If not, Tyvis Powell is patiently waiting behind him.
The linebacker, cornerback and defensive line position groups are all noticeably better than last season. The new defensive scheme will make many of the current outside linebackers switch to defensive end, most notably Nate Orchard, which could end up being for the best as it may be a more natural fit for him.
It shouldn’t shock Browns fans that the team has Pro Bowl potential with Haden, Collins, Ogbah, Garrett and potentially more.
The biggest concern, though is at safety.
Peppers may have been the best athlete in the draft with his ability to return punts and be an above-average tackler, yet his lack of production in coverage suggests that he looks more like a good WILL linebacker.
It is also hard to trust Reynolds as the starting free safety, and it looks like that will be one of the key draft positions earning attention next offseason.
It’s possible that Reynolds plays better in Williams’ defensive scheme, he plays better, or that players such as Powell, Derrick Kindred, Ibraheim Campbell or Wilson could step up and take the position.
Next: Predicting the post-draft starting offense
Until this is sorted out, the Browns will look better in the front seven and the cornerback position should be fine, but the defense sill has glaring holes at defense that still need to be addressed.