Dawgs By Nature
The Cleveland Browns have always had very good players for their defensive backfield. This year, that has changed.
The safety position was one of the strongest groups on the team last year. But since last season, Juan Thornhill was released, D’Anthony Bell left for the Seattle Seahawks during free agency, who had led the Browns in special teams tackles, and Rodney McLeod retired. The only safeties still under contract were Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman.
RELATED: IS THE BROWNS DEFENSE ACTUALLY THE BEST?
Browns GM Andrew Berry did not address safety in the April NFL draft as expected, but instead he signed two free agent veterans in Rayshawn Jenkins from the Seahawks and Demontae Kazee, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Also signed was Nik Needham, who could play both cornerback and safety.
DC Jim Schwartz likes to use three safeties in his defensive scheme.
Undrafted rookie free agent Donovan McMillan of Pitt was signed along with last year’s practice squad players, Trey Dean and Chris Edmonds.
It was expected that either Kazee or Jenkins would eventually grab the other starting safety spot opposite Delpit. But that hasn’t happened. Hickman has started all three games instead.
Jenkins is playing, but he is a mainstay on punt and kickoff coverage teams and only gets occasional reps with the defense. Kazee is barely playing, and McMillon is strictly a special teams (ST) guy currently. Here is the breakdown for all three games:
Hickman: 3 tackles, 52 defensive snaps (100% of plays), 6 ST snaps (26% of plays)
Jenkins: 2 tackles, 15 defensive snaps (29%), 10 ST snaps (43%)
Kazee: 0 tackles, 0 defensive snaps, 9 ST snaps (39%)
McMillon: 1 tackle, 0 defensive snaps, 16 ST snaps (70%)
Hickman: 3 tackles, 56 defensive snaps (100%), 11 ST snaps (26%)
Jenkins: 2 tackles, 13 defensive snaps (23%), 19 ST snaps (58%)
Kazee: 0 tackles, 2 defensive snaps (4%), 15 ST snaps (45%)
McMillon: 0 tackles, 0 defensive snaps, 23 ST snaps (70%)
Hickman: 4 tackles, 65 defensive snaps (100%), 0 ST snaps
Jenkins: 1 tackle, 12 defensive snaps (23%), 13 ST snaps (57%)
Kazee: Inactive
McMillon: 1 tackle, 0 defensive snaps, 16 ST snaps (70%)
The issue with the safety group is not Delpit, who currently has 18 total tackles, one tackle for loss, two batted passes, and one interception. The pick was pivotal in the Green Bay contest, which set up the Browns with a first-and-goal at the Packers’ seven-yard line. Before the pick, the Browns’ deepest penetration all game had been Green Bay’s 41-yard line.
This led to Cleveland’s first points of the game as Andre Szmyt booted a 35-yard field goal for a 10-3 score with just over five minutes left in regulation.
Last year, Delpit led the team in tackles with 111, with 80 the season before and 105 in 2022. Delpit is the stabilizing force in the backend of the defense and an important part of the run-stopping game....
