Entering 2023, there was no question that the Browns defensive backs were among the most talented in the league. This is particularly true for their cornerback trip. Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson had represented a serious expenditure of draft capital for the team, costing a pair of first-round picks and a third. However, 2022 was a disappointing year for the defense overall, and particularly for this trio of corners. Though the team finished fifth overall in passing defense, it produced just 11 interceptions. What the stats don’t show is the secondary also folded in key situations. One of these came in Week 2 when the New York Jets somehow managed to score two touchdowns in under two minutes, snatching a sure win away from the Cleveland Browns.
Exit 2022 defensive coordinator Joe Woods. Enter 2023 defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Schwartz brought a much more aggressive mentality than his 2022 counterpart. It was focused on pressure picks and coverage sacks. Schwartz intended to use the Browns pass rushers to hurry the opposing quarterbacks into making bad decisions, and therefore turning the ball over. Likewise, the cornerbacks would play much more man-to-man coverage, to give the defensive line just an extra second to make a play in the backfield.
Evaluating the Cleveland Browns Defensive Backs
In addition to the talented trio of corners, the Browns defensive backs room already had strong safety Grant Delpit. Like his corner counterparts, Delpit was a high pick: a second-rounder out of LSU. Like the corners, he was highly regarded as a talent who had another level of play above him.
Opposite Delpit, the team didn’t have a strong candidate for free safety. That position is crucial in man-to-man schemes like Schwartz intended to deploy. The free safety is often the last line of defense – if a corner slips or gets beat in man coverage, it’s often the safety’s job to save the otherwise inevitable touchdown. To that end, the Browns defensive backs room added safety Juan Thornhill from Kansas City. Thornhill was not the true center field-type of safety the Browns needed, as he played the run as often as the pass for the Chiefs, but he is a talented, athletic player that Schwartz hoped to redeploy to suit his needs.
The Cornerback Trio: The Stars Among the Browns Defensive Backs
Redefining the roles of the corners worked wonders for the newly remade Jim Schwartz defense. Newsome was moved out of the slot, where he felt uncomfortable. Emerson played more slot, where he flourished. Ward, the team’s No. 1 corner, played all over the field. Entering the season, neither Emerson nor Newsome had a single career interception to their credit. In 2023, Emerson got four while Newsome bagged two, including scoring his first NFL touchdown on a pick-six. Ward put up his usual stellar numbers and was ultimately selected to the Pro Bowl. Overall, the trio led the leap from No. 5 to No. 1 in overall pass defense and from 11 to 18 team interceptions.
Where the trio struggled was when one of them was injured. Continuing the theme for the 2023 Browns, none played in every game. The Schwartz defense came to be defined by this trio, and when one was out, it was felt throughout the entire defense. The team was forced to play more zone. The pass rush became increasingly ineffective, particularly once edge rusher Myles Garrett injured his shoulder.
This was due to the lack of reserves. The team carried three reserve corners most of the time. One, Mike Adams, was signed primarily because of his special teams prowess, and was not expected to contribute much as a cornerback. Cameron Mitchell was the best of them, a fifth-round developmental pick for the Browns defensive backs in 2023. He made good progress as the season went on, but is still green and needs more development. Kahlef Hailassie is a rookie free agent who joined the team after training camp and provided limited impact.
The Biggest Impact: Strong Safety Grant Delpit
There’s no question that the biggest jump among the Browns defensive backs came from strong safety Grant Delpit. His overall PFF grade took a seven-point leap from his previous two seasons. But more importantly, he seemed to be everywhere. When the Browns defense was its most aggressive and fired up, it was often because Delpit had launched himself in from some obscure corner of the field and delivered a bone-jarring hit. Most notably, he added a lot to the team in the pass rush.
This is somewhat surprising for a defensive back. His pass rush PFF grade lept from 39.4 to 71.5 this season. He added 12 pressures, one sack, two QB hits, and nine hurries. When a team that has a pass rush as good as the Browns can add another weapon like Deplit from surprising directions, that’s a big deal. That’s why the team rewarded him with a three-year, $36 million contract extension. He missed the end of the season and the playoff game due to an injury but is expected to be fully healthy in 2024.
Questionable Impact: Free Safety Juan Thornhill
Juan Thornhill was added to the Cleveland Browns defensive backs room with the idea that he would be the last line of defense. However, Thornhill had an up-and-down season. He was in and out of the lineup with injuries, only playing 11 games. At times, he looked brilliant. At others, he was woefully out of position, costing the Browns defense big plays. His tackling was on point, as he had an excelllent PFF tackling grade of 83.1, by far a career high. Though he also had a high run defense grade, his coverage grade was middle of the pack at best. The 60.9 coverage grade was the second worst of his five-year career. He also has little to show statistically from the coverage standpoint, with just one pass defense to his credit all season and no interceptions.
This lack of center field safety help became a big problem for the team as the season progressed, particularly once Delpit was lost for the season. Rodney McLeod, who can play both positions, was also injured. McLeod was a little long in the tooth for a center field safety, as he has lost a step at age 33. Rookie free agent Ronnie Hickman and second-year man D’Anthony Bell tried their best, but both were widely outmatched. This was particularly evident in the playoff game against the Houston Texans. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud had a field day against the center of the Cleveland defense.
The Future of the Browns Defensive Backs
Traditionally, most teams employed two cornerbacks as starters, then used a third “nickel” corner for obvious passing situations. That has changed in the new, pass-happy NFL. Schwartz’s defense uses three corners more than most. If that is to continue, the team must invest some of its limited capital in an experienced man-to-man corner who can step in if one of the big three is out. With Mitchell behind and with perhaps another late-round development flyer in the 2024 draft, that should solidify the cornerback component of the Browns defensive backs room.
Where the Browns defensive backs need their most improvement is at free safety. For Schwartz’s man schemes to be at their most effective, Thornhill needs to take a big jump in Year 2 to understand his center field duties. Beyond that, the team needs to look for an inexpensive free safety reserve. McLeod is a good veteran leader, but he shouldn’t be counted upon to step in for Thornill for extended periods. Hickman is the best-looking young player for the role, but if the Texans game is any indication, he has a long way to go toward advancing his mental game to prime time.
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