4 Young Cleveland Browns who may beat out veterans at camp

1. Jacob Phillips/Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK)

One of the biggest needs for the Cleveland Browns in 2021 was an upgrade at linebacker. And with the addition of Anthony Walker in free agency and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in the second round of the NFL draft, they did just that. Let’s also not forget about 2020 third-round pick Jacob Phillips who will come into the season fully healthy.

While the Browns may not need three linebackers on the field for every snap, there will certainly be scenarios where they do. With the two young guys JOK and Phillips having strong camps, look for Mack Wilson and Sione Takitaki to struggle to keep their starting positions.

Both Wilson and Takitaki have started a lot of games for the Browns, but their time could be coming to an end. Both are decent linebackers but don’t have the full package.

Wilson struggles in the run game and can be fooled by misdirection, while Takitaki was a liability in coverage for most of the 2020 season.

Both JOK and Phillips are much better athletes and have a much higher ceiling. With Walker being a dominant run stuffer and JOK having safety-like skills, the entire Browns defense could be dangerous in 2021.

While Wilson and Takitaki likely come in as the starters, look for JOK and Phillips to quickly take over those positions with JOK the number two, and Phillips the number three on the roster.