5 early under the radar defensive targets Cleveland Browns should consider

2. Ashtyn Davis, Safety

Another 2020 draft pick, Ashtyn Davis was selected by the New York Jets in the third round out of California. He was seen as a solid deep coverage safety prospect and has developed well over the past four seasons in New York. Even so, he has yet to secure a full-time starting job — appearing in 54 games with 21 starts.

This past season, he put up some impressive numbers with three interceptions and eight pass defenses despite starting just five of 17 games. He also secured his highest grade ever from PFF and had a respectable 77.9 coverage grade. Although, he's also never been shy about throwing his weight around.

Cleveland has made it a point to build up a strong corps of safeties as they entered the season with Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, and Rodney McLeod. Injuries forced them to lean on Ronnie Hickman and D’Anthony Bell also and each stepped up when needed.

Looking ahead to 2024, all of those mentioned with the exception of McLeod will be back. I’m an effort to replace him, the Browns could see about adding Davis, who would be an option to play on known passing downs.

An additional benefit to Davis is his ability to serve as a return man. He hasn’t been used in this role since 2020 but returned kicks at Cal and had some success. Cleveland could still look for a return specialist but as we’ve seen over the past couple of years, having a Plan B (or even Plan C) is never a bad idea.