The beast behind Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi

Larry Ogunjobi is one Cleveland Browns player who has been working in silence.

In case you didn’t know, the Cleveland Browns defense is not getting too much attention heading into this season, and rightfully so. While the offense may be loaded with star talent, the defense is a whole different story.

If the Browns defense is going to have success this season, defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi will be a major key in just how much success they have. If you are someone who doesn’t know much about Ogunjobi, you are in for a treat.

Being in the league for three years now, Ogunjobi has had 5.5 sacks the last two seasons, going along with at least 50 combined tackles. While these numbers may not necessarily jump out, they are better than you think.

The 5.5 sacks ranks 14th amongst tackles across the league, and 33 solo tackles falls at 20th. For someone who doesn’t get the hype he deserves, those are pretty solid numbers.

In his draft class, Ogunjobi ranked 15th amongst other tackles in his class. Coming from a smaller school like Charlotte, Ogunjobi worked hard to improve his draft stock and climb many scouts draft boards. Ogunjobi ended up being a third round pick by the Browns back in the 2017 draft.

This offseason, Ogunjobi has been in nothing but go-mode as he continues to grind and get in the weight room, leaving Browns fans amazed at just how built Ogunjobi is becoming.

Whatever it may be that keeps Ogunjobi motivated and ready to work hard at all times, hopefully it remains with him through this season. As he enters the final year of his rookie contract, he is looking to have a solid season to earn himself a big pay day come next offseason.

If you asked who the most under appreciated guy on this current Browns roster is, without a doubt Ogunjobi would be at the top of the list. When it comes to his college in Charlotte, he is the all-time leader in tackles with 217, as well as sacks with 13. Even with the addition of Andrew Billings, Ogunjobi and BIllings can make a very solid pairing that could really boost the play of this defense.

Off the field, Ogunjobi is making a solid impact as he donated 100,000 meals to the Greater Cleveland Food Bank during COVID-19. Assuming all goes well and Ogunjobi has another solid season, I would love to see the Browns lock him up long term for a reasonable contract, even after extending all the solid rookie contracts that will be up soon. Ogunjobi is a solid tackle, and the Browns need every bit of help on defense they can get.