Cleveland Browns: Top 5 players to watch in the preseason
By Sam Penix
![Browns reciver Donovan Peoples-Jones hauls in a pass in the end zone during practice on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 in Berea, Ohio, at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. [Phil Masturzo/ Beacon Journal]Browns 8 4 Jones](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_1080,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape%2Fcover%2Fsport%2Fhttps-3A-2F-2Fdawgpounddaily-com-2Fwp-content-2Fuploads-2Fimagn-images-2F2018-2F08-2F16526995-850x560-7b86e501355f45c78e7b535225426c75fdf7f5cc68fe7296a65921446c38ea24.jpg "Browns reciver Donovan Peoples-Jones hauls in a pass in the end zone during practice on Tuesday, August 3, 2021 in Berea, Ohio, at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. [Phil Masturzo/ Beacon Journal]Browns 8 4 Jones")
3. Grant Delpit
One of the biggest disappointments of last season was not being able to see Grant Delpit play for the Browns. Even as a rookie, he was going to be counted on an incredible amount, and his loss threw the secondary into disarray. He’s incredibly cerebral with great range at deep safety, closing speed in the box, and quickness in the slot. His versatility is fantastic, and was going to be heavily utilized by Joe Woods.
An Achilles tear ruined those plans, and that injury is not an easy one to return from. Many players who do recover are never the same. Delpit has to be only the third-best safety on the team, as John Johnson III and Ronnie Harrison Jr. have the starting spots covered. Yet, Delpit is a player who, at full strength, can transform a secondary, and he is a very important piece moving forward. His first NFL action will be a good chance to see how his recovery is going, which is the most important thing at this point.
Delpit at full strength can be one of the NFL’s best defensive backs. It may not be fair to expect him to ever return to 100%, but 80% would be nice. He’ll likely be brought along slowly during the regular season, but a strong preseason showing could speed up his integration.