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2018 NFL Draft: Cleveland Browns can build a top defense

By Martin McConnell

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 05: Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (DB51) runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - MARCH 05: Alabama defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick (DB51) runs the 40 yard dash during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 5, 2018 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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In the 2018 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns could find their quarterbacks and also build the elusive top defense they have lacked for years.

The Cleveland Browns have tremendous potential with this draft class, should they play their cards right. Not only can they find their franchise quarterback, but they could also build the elusive top defense they have lacked for years.

Defensive end Myles Garrett is a freak of nature. Really, the whole of the Browns front seven is at least solid. With a couple more pieces, their defense could be something truly special. Fortunately for Cleveland, they have the option to acquire those final pieces in the 2018 NFL Draft.

As far as the defensive line goes, the Browns have been linked to North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb ever since the Jets traded up. Chubb, like Garrett, is built like a brick wall with legs, with rockets strapped to the legs.

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Chubb can move big time, and at 6-foot-4 and 276-pounds, his body is a lot like Garrett’s. But, one can make the case that the Browns need more help in the secondary than they do on the front line. That notion leaves Cleveland with two first-round options.

Minkah Fitzpatrick and Denzel Ward are very different players. However, they can both make a huge impact for the Browns on day one. Right now, with the motif of “speed” surging through the entire defense, it looks more likely that the Browns could go with Ward.

Fitzpatrick helps a lot more on the leadership side, but his play is still electric. As one of Alabama’s premier defenders last year, Fitzpatrick seems to have the lowest bust potential of any pick in this entire class.

With Joe Thomas gone, the Browns need a new voice in the locker room. Fitzpatrick can fill that void, just as he did with the Crimson Tide. If the Browns want truly lightning fast play, though, Ward should be the choice.

Either way, the Browns have three players to pick that could immediately change this defense. Chubb, Fitzpatrick, and Ward are all special in their own way. Even though it adds more youth to the defense, it also adds special talents who all know what they’re doing.

Pairing Chubb along with Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah could make for a lethal trio on the front line. Souping up the secondary with either Ward or Fitzpatrick adds an immediate dose of speed and discipline.

Next: Top 15 Browns first round picks

If Gregg Williams cannot make this defense work, he might not be the man for the job. Williams loves speed and intensity, which all three of these prospects bring. Defense wins championships, and even without a quarterback, it is time for the Browns to build a championship defense.

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