3 defensive rookies for the Cleveland Browns with breakout potential
The 2021 season was a breakout season of sorts for the Cleveland Browns. The franchise reached the playoffs for just the second time since the team returned in 1999 and captured their first playoff victory since the 1994 season. The 11-5 record for Cleveland marked the most wins since 1994 as well and just the third winning season since 1999. Now, the Browns are adding more playmakers to the roster.
The 2021 NFL Draft brought about a new approach for the Cleveland Browns. The team was picking much lower than what has become the norm over the past two decades. On top of that, the team didn’t have a clear, glaring need to address like in the past. Instead, they were able to take the best fit available. That approach could very well spin into one of the more productive classes in the league this coming season.
In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Browns made eight selections. Of those eight, five will line up on the defensive side of the ball. Cleveland took two linebackers, a cornerback, a safety and a defensive tackle. There’s a chance that all of them will have strong impact during the upcoming season.
While the 2020 season showed promise and improvement for Cleveland, the defensive side of the ball has some gaps that proved to be a bit of a problem time and time again throughout the season. Now, these rookies will be looked to to fill those gaps.
They won’t be alone in the effort as the Browns added a few free agents to the mix as well. However, these three rookies will play a large role in the improvement of the Cleveland Browns defense. Not only will they be expected to play well this season, but for the foreseeable future in the Orange and Brown.
Tommy Togiai, DT, Cleveland Browns
The defensive line in Cleveland was rather strong last season, but the team lost a lot of pieces in the middle of the line. Both Larry Ogunjobi and Sheldon Richardson are no longer on the team and while the Browns did bring in Malik Jackson and will get Andrew Billings back, the position might be the biggest question mark on the roster.
One player that has the potential to emerge from the masses is 2021 fourth round pick Tommy Togiai out of Ohio State. Listed on the roster at 6-foot-1, 300 pounds Togiai might actually be a bit undersized from what is typically viewed as a defensive tackle. However, what he might lack in height, he makes up for on the field.
With Ohio State, Togiai played in just 22 games, but he made the most of his time on the field. In total, he ended his career with 49 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and one forced fumble. While there isn’t one stat that jumps off the page, Togiai did a little bit of everything which will be key in a depth role and gaining more time on the field as the season progresses.
The defensive tackle position will have a lot of competition in Cleveland, including from undrafted free agent Marvin Wilson who just a year ago was considered a potential first round prospect. When the dust settles, Togiai could be one of the key pieces of the unit.
Greg Newsome II, CB, Cleveland Browns
The secondary in Cleveland last year saw injury after injury, which had been a theme for a couple seasons for the franchise. The team made it through the season, but adding help in the offseason became a must, leading to the Browns taking two players to add to the secondary, including gaining a healthy Grant Delpit.
In the first round, the Cleveland Browns made sure to immediately address the position with cornerback Greg Newsome II. Newsome was a player that saw his stock steadily rise not only throughout the season, but through the draft process as well.
Playing 17 games at Northwestern, Newsome tallied 71 tackles, including one for a loss. He only had one interception, coming during the 2020 season, but he did manage to register 20 passes defended. So while he might not be snagging each ball, it’s still hard to get a pass by him without him at least getting a finger on it.
That type of ball-hawk ability will be a huge upgrade for the Cleveland defense. Denzel Ward has one corner spot locked down, but putting Newsome opposite him will be a big addition. Additionally, an injury won’t turn the position on its head like it has in the past.
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Cleveland Browns
While the defensive line and secondary for Cleveland had their fair share of hardships last season, the linebacker position maybe saw the most ups and downs. For that reason, the Browns took two more linebackers to add to the unit, giving the team five linebackers taken over the last three seasons between the second and fifth round.
One of those two players taken was Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a player with first round talent that fell to the second round due to a health concern. The Cleveland Browns were the beneficiary of the fall in the draft and now Owusu-Koramoah has a huge opportunity ahead of him.
Playing 25 games over two seasons for Notre Dame, Owusu-Koramoah was able to log 142 tackles, including 80 during the 2019 season alone. He was also able to register 24.5 tackles for loss in addition to seven sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumbles record and an interception.
The NFL is trending towards linebacker-safety hybrids and that’s the role that Owusu-Koramoah will play in Cleveland. He has shown the ability to drop back in coverage while also being a threat in the pass rush as well. He could be the best rookie on the defense given the opportunity he could be presented.