3 strengths and 2 weaknesses of Kevin Stefanski heading into 2023

Kevin Stefanski strength: Defensive roster and coaching

One of the biggest strengths for Kevin Stefanski this coming season is going to be the defensive coaching staff -- led by coordinator Jim Schwartz -- as well as the personnel the team now has on that side of the ball.

The Browns' defense could be the reason this team actually contends in the AFC North and having Schwartz on that side of the ball will give Stefanski some peace of mind. It's not a new trend in the NFL, by any means, but having a "head coach" of the defense can really help a coach with expertise on the offensive side of the ball.

As we've already explained, the success of the offense this year is really going to put a lot of pressure on Stefanski. He needs that peace of mind every week knowing that his defense is going to be arguably the most consistent unit for this team.

And Schwartz is going to certainly bring that level of confidence. He should, at the very least. The Browns have a tremendous and vastly improved defensive front. They have speed at the second level. Their secondary is outrageously talented.

This could end up being a top-10 overall defense when all is said and done, and the aggressiveness of Schwartz could lead to the Browns being top-5 in sacks and turnovers forced. There may be some level of feast or famine with Schwartz's defenses, but we saw in that 2017 season with Philadelphia what he can do with big-time talent at all levels. That 2017 Eagles team (which won the Super Bowl) ranked 4th in the NFL in points, yards, and total takeaways.

And that 2017 Eagles team is really a case in point of what we're talking about here. The Eagles lost Carson Wentz that year and were still able to ride that defense all the way to the Super Bowl and the first Lombardi Trophy in the team's history.

Now, the Browns are hoping Schwartz can do the same for the city of Cleveland.