Cleveland Browns: 5 Bold predictions as training camp begins

Bold prediction No. 1: Jacob Phillips will get the start at linebacker

The linebackers for the Browns have gotten a bit stronger over the past two seasons. With the drafting of Jeremiah-Owusu Koramoah from Notre Dame, the linebacking crew got quicker too.

Jacob Phillips, another quick linebacker, was selected by Cleveland in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft but hasn’t played much due to injuries. This season will be Phillips’ best chance at working into the starting lineup, and he’s already turned heads at minicamps.

The talented linebacker is only 23 years old and had an outstanding career at LSU. He had a knack then for finding the ball as he recorded 113 tackles in his final season with the Tigers and got into the backfield quite a bit too as he had 13.5 tackles for losses combined between his sophomore and junior years. The lanky 6-foot-3 linebacker has speed too and having him back on defense with Owusu-Koramoah will be a big benefit to the defense’s speed and ability to track down their opponents on any given Sunday.

Last season, he was able to return from the bicep injury he suffered in the fall and start one game at the end of the season. He had 17 tackles in the four games he got to play in.

We’ll have to see how he goes through training camp as obviously, the bicep injury is a serious one, but he was able to come back from it. If he and JOK can start at linebacker, the Browns will be in excellent shape to shut down any opponents’ advantages they feel they have on offense.