The Cleveland Browns are taking a massive risk on the defensive line in 2021

The Cleveland Browns defensive line may make or break the team’s Super Bowl hopes in 2021

The defensive line was a priority for the Cleveland Browns during the offseason as 10 players not on the roster last year were either guaranteed spots, or fighting for them during the preseason. With value free agent signings and only a fourth-round draft pick, the team went with a quantity over quality approach, and unfortunately, things haven’t worked out as intended.

Now, the Browns are relying on players with injury histories and one with no history at all. It’s a massive risk that could pay off in a huge way, or blow up in Cleveland’s collective face.

Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi played the lion’s share of the team’s defensive tackle snaps last season, and weren’t great. They’re both gone now, and in fact, Jordan Elliott is the only defensive tackle who returns from 2020.

Andrew Billings is the starting 1-tech, and while he was a solid run-stuffer with the Cincinnati Bengals, he opted out of last season and looked quite bad during the preseason. Hopefully, he can get back to his previous level of play by the time he’s actually needed.

Backing Billings up will not be rookie Tommy Togiai, who likely won’t even be active most weeks. He is very talented but is nowhere near ready to contribute meaningful snaps, which isn’t a surprise given his age, lack of experience, and the position he plays.

No, the backup 1T spot will be played by Malik McDowell, a 2017 second-round pick who played his first football game in 1,751 days against the New York Giants in Preseason Week 2. After injuries and off-field issues derailed his career, he’s taking advantage of his second chance, and dominated the Giants and Atlanta Falcons. He’s supremely talented and has a practically limitless ceiling, but he’s also still extremely raw and has barely played the sport over the past four years.

McDowell started out as the longest of longshots back in May, and suddenly he’s going to be counted on to play a vital role. He might even be starting Week 1, and even if he doesn’t, he’ll see the field quite often.

On the edge, Myles Garrett should be recovered from the injuries and COVID-19 aftereffects that took him from a record-setting pace over the first five games of 2020 to a hollow shell of his former self afterward. The Browns will need a full-strength Garrett for the defense to hold up, and unfortunately, the rest of the EDGE depth chart isn’t very reliable.

Jadeveon Clowney is a very good player when healthy, but he played only eight games last year and was hampered most of 2019. Cleveland cannot afford for Clowney to miss significant time, or to deal with nagging injuries when he is on the field.

Takk McKinley was signed to help with that, rotating in and out to keep Garrett and Clowney fresh and healthy while also playing with the two in obvious passing situations, providing elite speed around the corner. But McKinley also struggled with injuries in 2020, having missed 12 games. He was also absent for a large part of training camp due to an undisclosed personal issue. Whether it’s his mental or physical health, McKinley is not a sure thing.

Joe Jackson is the fourth and final EDGE on the roster, and while he was probably the team’s best player at the position during the season, that isn’t saying much, and the Browns clearly don’t think all that highly of him, as they were entirely content risking him on waivers during final cuts. If he’s playing more than 10-ish snaps a game, it’s not a good sign for the three players ahead of him.

If Clowney and McKinley can stay healthy, and McDowell begins to realize his immense potential, the Browns will have one of, if not the NFL’s most terrifying defensive line. If injuries take their toll, and players like Billings don’t live up to expectations, the lack of reliable depth on the DL could be one of the main reasons why Cleveland fails to win a Super Bowl this year.