Cleveland Browns: 3 Moves That Must Be Made Before Next Season
By Kyle Edmond
Cleveland Browns need to upgrade interior defensive line depth
Over the past offseason the Cleveland Browns lost both Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi, two subtractions from the roster that are weighing heavily on the defense. The team made band-aid fixes with Jadeveon Clowney and Takk McKinley, but both play on the outside of the line and will be free agents at the end of the season.
As for the interior of the line, Malik Jackson and Malik McDowell have been decent additions, but again, both will be gone after this season. The bigger issue is that Cleveland doesn’t have a true run stuffer. That role was supposed to be for Andrew Billings, but he didn’t play week three or six and has just one tackle the entire season so far.
Having Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney off the edges is a great asset for the Cleveland defense, but it doesn’t mean much when offenses can freely scheme or adjust up the middle. If Cleveland wants to get the full worth out of the Garrett-Clowney duo this season, a move for a defensive tackle inside is a must.
Even if this move is pushed off until the offseason and Clowney walks, the interior of the defensive line in Cleveland will need attention. Only Jordan Elliott and Tommy Togiai are on the books for 2022 at the defensive tackle position. Given where Cleveland could end up drafting in the 2022 NFL Draft, this could be the team’s top position of need for the first round.