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3 players that need to step up for Cleveland Browns defense to turn around

By Clay Goodwin

CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Offensive tackle Rob Havenstein #79 of the Los Angeles Rams tries to block defensive end Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 22: Offensive tackle Rob Havenstein #79 of the Los Angeles Rams tries to block defensive end Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns during the first half at FirstEnergy Stadium on September 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 27: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks to pass during the third quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – OCTOBER 27: Tom Brady #12 of the New England Patriots looks to pass during the third quarter of the game against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium on October 27, 2019 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images) /

2. Olivier Vernon, Defensive end

Defensive end Olivier Vernon had an up and down year. An injury in Week 9 against Denver derailed the rest of his season. Prior to the injury, he had spurts of dominance and times when he would disappear.

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What he did do well – set the edge against the run. He played a huge factor in not allowing runs to bounce outside of him. While he does not get in the stat book for that, he prevents what could be a huge play. It is then up to the other defenders to corral and tackle the back.

What he struggled with – getting pressure on the quarterback consistently and keeping contain on mobile quarterbacks. With Myles Garrett lined up opposite of him, there were expectations that he could exploit tackles one-on-one and get sacks.

He only finished the season with a disappointing 3.5 sacks. On several occasions, he also let opposing quarterbacks leave the pocket and make plays. He has to eliminate those errors in 2020.

Luckily, Vernon is capable of much more than what he showed in 2019. In his last full season with 16 games played, Vernon had 8.5 sacks and has had as high as 11.5 sacks in a year before. While these are not top tier numbers, they are certainly still productive. Again, he has been and will continue to be extremely good at setting the edge on run plays. He can close gaps using his strength.

Vernon can certainly produce sack levels between 7-11. He just has to stay healthy and stay aggressive. With Garrett putting intense pressure opposite him, Vernon needs to capitalize on his opportunities.

The Browns need the powerful Vernon to assert his dominance and get pressure in the backfield. If he can consistently produce for the Browns defense, expect a much better year for the unit.

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