Can Cleveland Browns continue success of drafting mid-round linebackers?

The Cleveland Browns are expected to start two linebackers whom were mid-round draft selection, and perhaps they can have the same luck in the 2019 Draft.

The Cleveland Browns will enter the 2019 NFL Draft without a position that needs to be addressed. Instead, general manager John Dorsey and the Browns front office can take a purely best player available approach.

With eight selections, the Browns can take a variety of approaches towards the draft, which includes the possibility of trading back into the first round of the draft. This seems like a likely option considering there are not many open roster spots for eight rookies.

But they also have to consider the type of approach they will take in terms of selecting players. Although they can select the best player available, there has to be some consideration about the positions that need more depth.

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For the most part, most of the defense could use a couple of additions. Other than strong safety, the secondary has not seen much attention from the front office. And the Browns added two starters on the defensive line, but the unit is still lacking quality reserves.

But the second level of the defense will also need some attention from the Browns’ front office. Linebacker is not in as bad of shape in terms of depth compared to the defensive front and secondary, so it but needs another solid player who can play snaps in a reserve capacity.

It would be surprising if the Browns did not add a linebacker through the draft, even if the player is not an early selection. Because the Browns have three solid starters in Christian Kirksey, Joe Schobert, and Genard Avery, Cleveland needs to find a rookie who can play well in a reserve role.

Because there is not a huge need at the position, Cleveland can use one of its mid-round selections to address the linebacker position. And over the past several years, the Browns have had tremendous success selecting linebackers in the middle rounds of a draft.

All three of the linebackers slated to be starters for the Browns in 2019 were drafted in the middle part of the draft. Kirksey was a third-round selection in 2014. Schobert was a fourth-round selection in 2016. Avery was a fifth-round selection in 2018.

Although all three of these players were selected by different regimes, the Browns have succeeded in finding starting talent at linebacker later in the draft. It is an odd trend, but a trend the organization hopes will continue.

Cleveland may have three players who will be solid starters in 2019, but it was a position that had a bunch of issues last season. Both Schobert and Kirksey missed time with injuries, including Kirksey missing most of the second half of the season. Because of their lack of depth at the position, the linebackers struggled to make plays to stop the run as well as letting passing offenses attack the middle of the field with success.

There needs to be more competition at the position considering the problems the second level of the defense had last season. And there are questions if Avery can succeed playing as a linebacker in space instead of primarily playing on the edge, where he had the most success last season.

Next. What are the Browns' biggest draft needs?. dark

With the question marks at the position, the position should be addressed at some point in the draft. If the Browns are able to hit on another mid-round linebacker, as they have been in the past, it could make this draft class a success.

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