40-yard dash: 3 players with elite speed Cleveland Browns need
By Jacob Roach
With the 2022 NFL combine in the books let’s take a look at 3 players who had great 40-yard dashes showing their elite speed that the Cleveland Browns should target
The combine is now behind us and we are a little over a week away from the start of the new league year and NFL free agency. We can’t always take a lot from the scouting combine but one thing that usually is telling is the 40-yard dash.
The 40-yard dash helps teams to see players that have elite straight-line speed which is something you just can’t teach. The Browns have had a lack of speed in the receiver room for the last couple of years but that isn’t the only place adding elite speed will help this roster.
Let’s take a look at three players that flashed elite speed the Cleveland Browns should target in the upcoming NFL draft.
No. 3 player with elite speed the Cleveland Browns should target- Nick Cross, Safety, Maryland
The Browns have shown that under defensive coordinator Joe Woods having fast defensive backs and multiple safeties is key to his scheme. A player in this draft that fits that mold with elite speed would be Maryland’s safety Nick Cross.
Cross showcased his speed at the NFL combine when he ran a 4.34-second 40-yard dash providing that he has elite speed. This is something you notice immediately on film, Cross can cover a ton of ground in a small amount of time.
Cross is at his best playing as the single high, centerfield type safety, something that the Browns may need if MJ Stewart walks. Having someone like Cross play this role would allow John Johnson III and Grant Delpit to move all over the field and into the box where they are at their best.
If you play three safety looks your single high free safety must-have elite speed, so a player like Nick Cross would be a great fit for the Browns.