Dawgs By Nature
The defense has taken another hit
The Cleveland Browns had high hopes of getting their defense back to an elite group after being ranked #1 just a season ago. Then, MLB Jordan Hicks retired, and now CB MJ Emerson is lost for the year with an Achilles tear.
RELATED: MARTIN EMERSON INJURY UPDATE
All three linebacker spots will feature a new face. At least one defensive tackle, if not two, will be different, and one defensive end, along with one new safety.
That is a lot of newness.
And now, with the injury to Emerson in a practice session, the right outside cornerback spot will highlight a new guy opposite Pro Bowler Denzel Ward.
The most obvious to insert would be Greg Newsome, who manned the position before Emerson was drafted in 2022. After a strong rookie showing, by midseason, Emerson had bumped Newsome out of the right corner spot and was then moved to occupy the slot.
And that combination has been what the defense has offered since, which has worked well.
But now? What are the options?
Moving Newhouse into that right outside cornerback position is probably the best option. That does mean the defense will have to adjust to new players at two new positions. If Newsome is yanked from the slot and into Emerson’s spot, that means someone new must be inserted into Newsome’s vacant position.
If that is how DC Jim Schwartz sees it, then who is most logical to become the slot guy?
Right off, there are two candidates: Cam Mitchell and Myles Harden.
The coaching staff loves Mitchell. They have spent a lot of time investing in his development, and are satisfied with his timeline. Now, maybe they weren’t quite ready to insert him into a starting role, but that luxury has come and gone, and here it is.
Mitchell came to the Browns as a fifth-round draft pick in 2023 out of Northwestern, just like Newsome. He played in 13 games as a rookie and played every game last year. He has yet to secure his first NFL interception, but is a good run support player and a willing tackler. He has 4.47 speed and tracks the ball well with natural ball skills. In college, quarterbacks avoided throwing to his side of the field.
He can be a bit too handsy and will get beaten over the top at times. And Mitchell has a habit of being hesitant when facing the action in zone coverage. Last year, Mitchell had 372 snaps, or 34% of defensive reps, which means he was the first cornerback off the bench.
Harden has less experience than Mitchell but just needs more experience at this level. He was a seventh-round draft pick in last year’s draft out of South Dakota. He became injured with a shin issue in his rookie season that landed him on IR until his rehab was completed, then he returned to action for the final four games. In his first NFL game...
