1. Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
If there’s one area that the Cleveland defense has really struggled in recent seasons, it’s covering tight ends. Far too often, the defense is left on the field for long drives as they surrender passes over the middle that move the chains.
One safety that excels in man coverage on tight ends that could be available in the second round is Southern Illinois safety Jeremy Chinn. He proved he has the speed required to play the position by posting a 4.45 in the 40-yard dash at the Scouting Combine.
That wasn’t his only impressive feat as he was also among the best defensive backs in every category as he had 20 reps on the bench press and jumped 41 inches when doing the vertical leap. All this while coming in at 6-foot-3 and 221-pounds.
In his final season at SIU, Chinn had a career-year racking up 71 tackles and four interceptions and was First-Team All-Conference as well. It was his fourth-straight season with at least three picks, as he had exactly three in each of his first three years.
What really makes him interesting is the fact that he can play either safety position. He has the coverage skills to play deep but can also bring the heat as a tackler as an in-the-box safety.
His versatility can help them now as well as in the future if they can’t keep Karl Joseph beyond this season.