Browns: Five Players Poised For A Breakout Season

5. Jamie Meder, Defensive Lineman

Adding quality players and depth along the defensive line have been need for a while. Over the past few drafts, the Browns have made that area of the team a focus. One player who has helped in Cleveland in a big way was actually not drafted at all.

Jamie Meder, a second-year player out of Ashland University, played well in his full season with the Cleveland Browns in 2015. Following the 2014 NFL Draft, Meder signed with Baltimore.

However, he was ultimately cut in November of that year after spending time on their practice squad. Shortly after, Meder was signed to Cleveland’s practice squad. Again, that did not last long but this time he was promoted to the Browns active roster.

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Despite the Browns issues on defense, Meder was a bright spot. In 16 games, he finished with one sack, 16 tackles, and 17 assisted tackles. One aspect of his game that is not seen in the stat book and is underrated is the fact that he is a space eater — a run stopper.

Teams have a tough time defending him, which in turn allowed other Browns players to come up to the line of scrimmage and make plays. Unfortunately, we saw first hand, such plays were not always executed.

Yes, Meder has a limited sample size, but his skill set and his impact last season is not a fluke. Meder is not a Pro Bowl player but he has plenty of potential. Meder will be in the rotation this upcoming season and should provide quality plays on a more frequent basis.

Next: A New Starter In The Defensive Backfield