Browns: 5 storylines to follow heading into training camp

Can Grant Delpit live up to the hype?

2020 was a rough year for everyone, and for Browns’ safety Grant Delpit, it couldn’t end soon enough. Delpit was the Browns’ first pick in the 2020 draft, coming in the second round out of LSU. There was a lot of hype surrounding Delpit, many believed him to be the best safety in college football and a steal of the 2020 NFL Draft.

Browns fans were excited about his pending debut and what his arrival could mean for the defense. Then Delpit suffered a catastrophic injury, tearing his Achilles tendon and missing all of the 2020 season. An injury like this takes about a year to recover from and Delpit seems to be on track to do just that.

The problem is that an injury to this tendon is often a major issue to deal with even after it’s healed. The lasting effects are real and often change an athlete’s abilities, if not completely erase them. This tendon directly affects an athlete’s ability to shift weight, change direction and run. There’s every possibility in the world that Delpit isn’t the same player he once was.

In fact, it’s all but guaranteed he lost something due to the injury. The question will come down to what is Delpit now? He might still be one of the best safeties of his draft class. He might be able to come in, go to the Pro Bowl as a (technical) rookie, and tear things up.

He might also become the team’s new punching bag among the fanbase. Only time will tell.