Cleveland Browns: 4 defensive players that will have improved stats in 2022
The Cleveland Browns defense should be a formidable unit and it will, especially if these four players are able to have better stats in 2022.
The defensive unit of the Cleveland Browns has a chance to be top-tier in the 2022 season. There are a ton of playmakers who will be playing together for a second-consecutive season. The defense will have to step up in a big way should quarterback Deshaun Watson be suspended for any amount of time.
The Browns enter the season returning seven defensive starters which is vastly different than a season ago when they had nine new faces on that side of the football. It took them a good bit of the first half of the season to gel, but they were a middle-of-the-pack defense, that really shined at times.
Cleveland gave up the fifth-fewest yards per game in the NFL in 2021 at 311.5. However, the defense allowed 22 points per game, which isn’t bad per se, but often times the offense couldn’t hold up their end of the deal.
The defense will need to generate more turnovers as they had only 19 last season; 21st in the league. These four players can force turnovers and get to the quarterback even better than they did a season ago.
Cleveland Browns Player That Will Have Better Stats in 2022 No. 4
Chase Winovich – EDGE
The Browns acquired EDGE rusher Chase Winovich earlier this offseason when they sent linebacker Mack Wilson to New England. I believe that this trade will benefit both the players and the teams. It gives each player a chance at a fresh start with a change of scenery and each team a new player to plug into their respective defenses.
Winovich was drafted in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Patriots. He had a stellar first two seasons in New England, racking up 5.5 sacks in each season. He also had 74 combined tackles, 50 being solo, and 10 for a loss. He had 22 quarterback hits in those first two seasons as well.
In Year 3, he found himself in head coach Bill Belichick’s doghouse and his stats diminished heavily. He did not register a sack and only 11 tackles while playing in just 14 percent of the defensive snaps. Belichick also deployed Winovich at the linebacker position, which is not his normal EDGE position.
In Cleveland, Winovich can be used to either provide relief for recently re-signed EDGE rusher, Jadeveon Clowney or alongside Clowney and opposite Myles Garrett. He could even be used on the interior at times, much like Clowney could do. With the Browns pretty thin at the defensive tackle position, that could be an opportunity that Winovich can take advantage of.
It is easy to think that Winovich will produce at least one sack and the Browns would be elated if he could replicate the 5.5 sacks from his first two seasons.