Cleveland Browns: Will Genard Avery have a big role when he returns?
By Dan Justik
The Cleveland Browns might already have a steal from the 2018 NFL Draft in fifth-round pick Genard Avery, and he could have a big role on the defense in his rookie season.
The Cleveland Browns have had a pleasant surprise in how well rookie linebacker Genard Avery has played in his first games in the NFL.
A fifth-round pick out Memphis, Avery has the stature and build of a defensive lineman, but the athleticism to play linebacker.
With the Browns, he has been seeing snaps with the first-team defense, coming off the edge as a pass rusher. And in those snaps, he has played extremely well as a pass rusher.
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Due to his physical build and the way that he plays linebacker, he has received early comparisons to James Harrison. After Harrison has tortured Browns offensive linemen and quarterback over the years, it would be nice for Cleveland to have a player like that on their defense.
During the preseason, Avery has shown his prowess to getting o the quarterback. On Thursday night, Avery dominated two Eagles blockers to strip-sack Nick Foles.
But one of the big things that is already hampering Avery is injuries. Just in the preseason, Avery missed the first preseason game with a groin injury. And now, Avery is dealing with a hip injury that Browns head coach Hue Jackson has said will keep him “down for a bit.”
It seems that when Avery eventually returns from the hip injury, Jackson and defensive coordinator Gregg Williams have some big plans for Avery with the starting defense.
Jackson on 5th round rookie LB Genard Avery, who is dealing with hip injury after back to back impressive performances: “The way that guy played the other night, we need him back on the field.”
— Andrew Gribble (@Andrew_Gribble) August 25, 2018
When Avery has been on the field during the preseason, they have played him and Myles Garrett on the edges. They kick Emmanuel Ogbah inside as the three-technique and play him next to defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.
With Avery able to dominate the edges as a linebacker, it lets Williams get creative with his personnel and can create mismatches for the opponents’ offensive line. His presence as a pass rusher could create a lot of problems for offenses, especially if they have to send extra help to stop Garrett.
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Even if the Browns only use Avery in pass rushing situations and he excels, he will be one of the bigger steals from this past year’s draft. As long Avery can get healthy and stay healthy, he could have one of the bigger rookie impacts in 2018.