Cleveland Browns should draft Jeremy Chinn over Antoine Winfield Jr. at No. 41
After a successful first round of the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns look forward to maximizing their position on day two.
The first round of the 2020 NFL Draft couldn’t have gone better for the Cleveland Browns. Without having to move up in the draft order, Andrew Berry and Kevin Stefanski were able to get the top tackle on their board and secured an anchor to their line that will protect Baker Mayfield for years to come.
That wasn’t the only part of Round 1 that went the way of the Browns. In a bit of a shock, not a single safety has come off the board. This includes star Alabama safety Xavier McKinney, who has unexpectedly dropped to the second round. No bones about it, if he’s there for the Browns at No. 41, disregard everything I’m about to say.
When it comes to the safeties left on the board after McKinney, there’s two who stand out above the rest. They are Minnesota’s Antoine Winfield Jr. and Jeremy Chinn of Southern Illinois.
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While both have the skillset to become great safeties in the NFL, Chinn possesses that something extra to be an elite player in the league. At the NFL Draft Combine, Chinn performed mightily and impressed scouts all over the league. This included the 6-foot-3, 220-pound safety running a 4.45 40-yard dash, which bested McKinney’s 4.63 and tied the four inches smaller Winfield.
Chinn showed his leg strength even further by besting both McKinney (36 inches,122 inches) and Winfield (36 inches, 124 inches) in the vertical and broad jumps respectively, in which Chinn recorded jumps of 41 inches and 138 inches.
His film is just as incredible. While some will discount him for playing at FCS school Southern Illinois rather than a FBS program, it’s a mistake to think he’s not an elite athlete capable of playing against anyone in the country.
What can really translate to the next level is how Chinn puts his speed into action with great technique. Chinn has an incredible ability to read the play in both the running and passing game. His tackling technique is exactly what you’d want from a defensive back, taking out the legs while not diving head first in a way that can get him injured.
Chinn’s speed and size makes him a serious threat in the AFC North, as he’ll be one of the few, if not only, safeties who can effective handle a tight end in man coverage. This means he can play close to the line and help in the run game.
He does occasionally get trapped in his own world with his assignments and loses the play developing around him. This could be an issue in the modern-day NFL with so many quarterbacks able to move in the pocket and create extra time. His skillset could both be an extreme asset and hindrance in containing reigning league MVP, Lamar Jackson.
Next. Plenty of talent remains for the Cleveland Browns in Round 2. dark
There’s a lot of unknowns going into day two of the 2020 NFL Draft. The Browns have major needs in the defensive backfield and on the defensive line. However, Chinn looks to be an elite-level prospect who could shore up depth issues and even challenge for a starting job. It’s impossible to know where he stands on Cleveland’s board currently, but it would be surprising, if McKinney goes in the first nine picks of Round 2, for the Browns to pass on Chinn.