Cleveland Browns Rookie of the Year won’t be Jedrick Wills

Jedrick Wills was a great pick for the Cleveland Browns and while he will be an impact player for them, he’s not going to be their Rookie of the Year

It’s hard to envision a scenario where the Cleveland Browns 2020 NFL Draft could have gone any better. They landed several key players who will contribute for years to come, with Alabama offensive tackle Jedrick Wills headlining the group.

Wills will take over at left tackle, filling a massive hole that they have been unable to fill since Joe Thomas called it a career. While his addition is going to have a huge impact on the entire offense, he won’t be the most impactful rookie for them.

Instead, the team’s Rookie of the Year could very well be their second pick, LSU safety Grant Delpit. Considered by some scouts as a first-round talent, Delpit slid to the Browns in the second round — and they were even able to jump back from pick 41 to 44 to land Delpit while also securing another draft pick.

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At one point, Delpit was a lock to be the No. 1 safety in the class after earning 2 All-American nods as well as being named First-Team All-SEC in both 2018 and 2019. As a cherry on top, Delpit won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2019, which goes to the best defensive back in college football.

And that was in what was considered a down season for Delpit.

In Cleveland, Delpit will see the field a lot as Joe Woods defensive scheme will often employ three safeties in a 4-2-5 look. That means Delpit, Karl Joeseph, and Andrew Sendejo will all be relied upon heavily and Delpit will be able to put his playmaking skills to the test.

Delpit finished his collegiate career with 199 tackles, 24 pass defenses, and eight interceptions — including five in 2018. He’s also a willing tackler and while critics have claimed he struggles in this area, they’re forgetting the fact that he played through a high ankle sprain in 2019 which could have affected his play at times.

With all things being considered, Delpit was a day one talent that the Browns were able to steal in the second. He also fills a position of need where he can help turn a struggling defense around.

For that reason, he could very well be the Rookie of the Year for Cleveland, even ahead of Wills. And that’s not a knock on Wills who will be a solid player.

Instead, it’s a testament to how talented Delpit is and how well Andrew Berry drafted in his first season as a general manager.