Browns: 5 best defensive players through 12 games

The Cleveland Browns have seen several major players step up on the defensive front but they still have major holes all over the place.

The Cleveland Browns don’t have a great defense. Their offense has been keeping other offenses off the field and the Browns defense is reaping the rewards. The Browns defense has some nice players to build around and hopefully, the Browns go full defense in 2021 in the NFL Draft. Yet, with that statement, the Browns need to accept that they’re lacking on that side of the ball. This is why No. 5 is a huge ol’ cheat.

That being said, he’s done more to help the defense out than most of the actual defensive players, so there’s that.

Jamie Gillan

I know, he’s a punter. I know, he’s technically a special teamer. I know, punters “aren’t footballer players”. My list, my rules. Frankly, there’s just not enough steady talent to warrant having a fifth player from the actual defensive squad on here. Malcolm Smith has a big game but then disappears like he’s a shadow at noon. B.J. Goodson is everything critics thought Joe Schobert was. Olivier Vernon has two good games to his credit. Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi, see Vernon.

With Gillan, the punter’s set the tone for the defense. They’re the ones who can either give the defense great field position, or awful field position. They are the special team’s Q to the defense’s James Bond. So we’re going to credit him with an honorary defensive status.

He’s not hitting the ball deep when he punts, but that’s the key. When he punts. He’s not punting the ball a lot, due in part to the Brown’s awesome offense. He’s had two or fewer punts in five games this year, with another two where he had only three punts. So he’s not getting as many opportunities but when he does get them, he makes sure to come through.