3 Former Cleveland Browns we wish could suit up for playoff run

2. D’Qwell Jackson, Linebacker

There’s no one who will argue that the Cleveland Browns linebacker corps isn’t awful right now. They entered the season as one of the least experienced in the NFL and already had major questions about their ability. Then, Mack Wilson regressed and they struggled with durability across the board.

Heading into the playoff game, they are thankfully going to have B.J. Goodson, who has been their best player at the position all year, back as he was recently activated from the Covid/Reserve list. Even with him on the field, they need help and for that reason, D’Qwell Jackson is a player who would make quite the impact if he were able to return in his prime for a postseason run.

A second-round pick in 20006 out of Maryland, Jackson was a tackling machine for the Browns. As a rookie, he had 94 tackles in 13 games and then really came on over the next two seasons. In 2007, he had 101 tackles, a sack, and an interception but then really stood out in 2008. That year, he led the NFL with 154 tackles while recording three interceptions, breaking up six passes, and registering two sacks.

In five of his seven seasons with the Browns, Jackson had at least 100 tackles and finished with 826 in his career with the team. He added 11.5 sacks, eight picks, and 29 pass defenses before leaving for the Indianapolis Colts.

He was a teammate of Josh Cribbs in 2014, which somehow was his only Pro Bowl season as well. Jackson also played in three postseason games that year, but never got the chance to do so with the Browns.