Cleveland Browns: Could Danny Shelton Be A Hall Of Famer?

The Browns had the worst run defense last season. To fix that issue early in the 2015 NFL Draft, the team selected DT Danny Shelton. Given the size Shelton is, it is amazing to see how athletic he is and the production he has provided during his years in college.

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Shelton is relentless and his energy is contagious. He is already showing the same dominant traits against some very good offensive linemen in Cleveland’s training camp. As he improves, Shelton is going to continue to dominate. Could he be so good that one day he could be considered a hall of famer? Absolutely!

I thought there were three sure-fire hall of famers from this year’s draft: Melvin Gordon, Amari Cooper and Shelton.

On April 29th 2015, I was praying that Browns GM Ray Farmer would draft Shelton the following evening in the first round of the NFL draft.

Rarely do the Browns and I agree on such decisions, but this time we sure did. It wasn’t a slam dunk sure thing though, as rumors mentioned the Browns were trying to draft a wide receiver. Hearing this, I thought Farmer might cave to the pressure of the media and fans and draft a WR instead of Shelton.

Many Shelton detractors pointed to his slow 40 time at the combine and surmised that he couldn’t see game time on third downs. Farmer and I disagreed.

His stats show a steady improvement every season up through his senior year, which he dominated. Shelton had 2.5 sacks his first three years combined and then had 9 his senior season. He had 7.5 tackles for loss his first three years combined and then had 16.5 his senior season.

Shelton will change the Cleveland defense right away. The days of running whenever you like against the Browns are over. Shelton will start his first game and every game thereafter. He won’t come off the field on third downs either. Instead, he’ll push the line of scrimmage into the quarterback’s face and the quarterback is either going to get swallowed by Shelton or pushed into the arms of Paul Kruger.

As the season goes on, Shelton will gain respect from his teammates. His peers will begin to recognize his talent. His film will be on display and I’m sure it’ll look like it has at camp this summer and how it did it while in college.

Shelton is a high energy guy on the field and he plays until the echo of the whistle every play. When teams struggle to find an answer for Shelton, the secondary is going to feast. Linebackers will be free to enforce the middle. This defense is going to go through an adjustment period with new players and then they will become a dominant NFL defense.

His energy will rub off on the offense and they will play well. Shelton will go from rookie to team captain by the time this season is over. He will earn the team’s respect and then demand the best from them. Shelton will also hold his teammates accountable and they will strive to meet Shelton’s demands.

This sort of positive reinforcement will ripple through the defense and then through the entire team. Shelton was a great pick; one of the franchise’s best ever. He’ll be a team captain soon and he will help make the defense one of the best. Obviously I’m taking a little liberty with my prognostication.

In fact, I’m merely connecting the dots from freshman season in college to now, and then forward in time. Kruger has already compared Shelton to Haloti Ngata, his former Baltimore Ravens teammate and five time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. Ngata has had a similar career to Vince Wilfork, who also has a similar build. They both resemble Shelton physically. I’m sure that Willfork will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and I’ll bet Ngata as well. Both of these players own Super Bowl rings and Shelton will probably need to own one (or more) to get elected.

Shelton loves to play football and hates to lose. He plays every play as if his life depended on beating his man. Then there is his passion for the game. You hear coaches and players alike, talk about how he is so passionate for the game. Coaches can’t teach it. A player either is or isn’t passionate, but it is a real thing, and it matters. That is why Steve Smith is still playing at 36. Do you think Peyton Manning and Tom Brady dread going to practice? No. They love football. So does Shelton.

Mix passion for football, a hatred of losing, an intense will to win and incredible strength, size, athleticism and intelligence, and you have Danny Shelton. You have a football player. There are plenty of guys with faster 40 times, but none that can “outheart” Shelton.

There are plenty of examples of players who were drafted because of their measurables, but turned out to be average football players. Courtney Brown and Kamerion Wimbley for instance would fit that category. Shelton’s career will not resemble either of these players.

John Randle, who played for the Minnesota Vikings and is in the hall of fame went undrafted. He was considered “too small” to play defensive tackle but like Shelton, loved playing football and he hated to lose. He played with a “high motor.” You hear people say that about players, when they play with a high motor. It means they don’t let up, take a play off, or needs rest. They play as hard as they can on every play, and like Randle, Shelton also has a high motor.

Shelton’s personality is warm and fun. People like him. He is able to light up a room full of people and also get those people to follow him. I’ve watched the film. This guy is the real deal. He’s a franchise player and a future hall of famer. We won’t know if I’m right for another 15 years, so I’ll make a more short-term prediction to see if I’m even close on this guy. I bet Shelton is a team captain by game one of the 2016 season.

The Browns will go deep in the playoffs a few times over the next several years. Shelton will be a big part of the success and when his career is over many years from now, Browns fans will see him having a very accomplished career. So, when I connect the dots, they lead straight from Cleveland to Canton.

Next: Browns: Will Cameron Erving Make An Impact In Year One?

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