The Browns' defense was not simply stout in 2025: It was one of the league's best units. Don't be fooled by their 14th-ranked points allowed standing, as that metric is inextricably tied to the Browns' offensive and special teams performance as well. They allowed the league's fourth-fewest yards in 2025, a statistic more indicative of their dominance last season.
Change is inevitable in the NFL, and the 2026 Browns will be different from last year's outfit. Among those changes is new defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, who takes over for the now departed Jim Schwartz. With modern defenses changing slowly but remaining in the nickel defense (five defensive backs) the majority of the time, the team's nickel defender has effectively been a starter.
Last season, the Browns deployed Myles Harden in this spot for the majority of the year. Harden surrendered a 120 passer rating in his coverage area, which lagged far behind in comparison to Denzel Ward (88.1) and Tyson Campbell (84.8). With all three returning in 2026, the Browns could still stand to upgrade at the nickel position. ESPN's Matt Bowen penned his annual piece identifying the best prospect at 100 different skills or traits, and in doing so unearthed the perfect pick for the Browns.
The Miami Hurricanes' Keionte Scott was tabbed as having the class's best nickel traits, with the added cherry on top of being considered the draft's best secondary blitzer, making him exactly what the Browns need.
A versatile nickel defender could unlock what Mike Rutenberg wants to do on defense
Scott had to get it out of the mud from the junior college route. After two years at Snow College, he spent the next three years of his career at Auburn before taking his talents to Miami for his final year of eligibility. His blossoming in 2025 was a huge reason the Hurricanes made it to the CFP National Championship, as he stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 64 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, five sacks, two interceptions (both returned for touchdowns), and two forced fumbles (both recovered).
This kind of production evidently caught Bowen's eye:
"Scott fits best as a low-zone nickel, giving him playmaking upside in the right scheme. He has a tone-setting demeanor near the line of scrimmage, leading all FBS cornerbacks with nine run stops in 2025. Scott had two interceptions, two forced fumbles and five sacks last season."
An underrated and typically superfluous skill — blitzing — is an unusual skill for a defensive back to display. There is undoubtedly a knack for it, though it's rare. In fact, only five defensive backs had three or more sacks in 2025: Denver's Ja'Quan McMilian (4.0), Pittsburgh's Jalen Ramsey (3.0), Carolina's Tre'von Moehrig (3.0), Chicago's Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (3.0), and the Browns' very own Grant Delpit (3.0).
Bowen's determination that Keionte Scott is the class's best blitzer would allow Mike Rutenberg to deploy him in a variety of ways, wreaking havoc with the aggressive attack he wishes to employ.
"Scott has a strong sense of timing and feel as a blitzer from overhang or slot alignments. And he has the speed to get to the quarterback. In addition to his five sacks, Scott had 21 pressures in 2025."
Pro Football Focus was similarly impressed, giving Scott an elite 89.6 PFF grade for the season, which ranked 10th out of 908 qualifiers in the country. He is nonetheless the No. 55 prospect on their Big Board, a development that could prove to be a boon for the Browns. If Cleveland is able to nab the 5'11", 193-pound pitbull and plug him into their secondary with either of their Day 2 picks (Nos. 39 or 70), the defense will instantly get that much scarier.
Such a development would surely vex the AFC North rival Bengals, Steelers, and Ravens, which makes it all the more sweet for a fanbase that deserves some team success in the worst way.
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