It’s time to break down the defensive line of the Cleveland Browns.
The rookies of the Cleveland Browns and other NFL teams are reporting to camp this week, starting off a painfully long waiting process that will last to the start of the season in nearly two months’ time. We’ve been using this time to break down the positions of the Browns, starting with the receivers, tight ends, running backs, quarterbacks, and most recently the offensive line.
Now it’s time for the defense. I thought about doing the tackles and ends separately but I did the offensive line together, so I’ll do the defensive line together as well. Tomorrow will be the linebackers, the secondary will be on Thursday with special teams and coaching finishing us off on Friday.
With that said, the Browns’ defensive line is anchored by a future Hall of Famer, and…that’s about it. There’s a lot of potentials, especially at the tackle positions, but as they say; potential gets you fired.
Now, onto the boilerplate stuff; if you’re new, the below will help you understand the grading better and if you’re not, you can skip the rest and move on to the defensive tackles’ gradings and rankings.
The below grades are intended for individual talent evaluations only. Letter grades are given “+” or “-” to determine exactly where they rank among others in that grade. For instance, an A- is a Pro Bowler, an “A” is your top-of-the-class, All-Pro type, while an “A+” is for your guys playing at a Hall of Fame level.
- INC – Given to expected practice squad players with little-to-no tape on them
- F –expected to be out of the league before the end of his rookie contract
- D – practice squad guy
- C – could get minutes as a backup
- B – starter
- A – among the league’s best
Positional grades are more optics related. In that regard here’s how that would break down;
- F – Position is a determinate to the team and talent is needed.
- D – Not a very talented group/too many unknowns.
- C – League average, can win with them but will also lose with them.
- B- A strength on the team.
- A – Among the league’s very best.
I want to stress these aren’t season-ending grades or evaluations. Depending on seasonal production, I expect some of these grades to go up or down. This is merely establishing a baseline for expectations.
The Defensive Tackles
Glen Logan, Roderick Perry II
I don’t have much faith in either man to do anything more than get looks at joining the practice squad. There’s not enough on them to give them a real grade, so it’s ok to be surprised if they make the actual team, just don’t bet on it.
Grade: INC
5. Jordan Elliott
Put your “Shocked Pikachu” memes away, if you’ve been following me since I joined at the start of 2020, you know I’m no fan of Jordan Elliot. I think it’s very likely he’s the first Andrew Berry draftee to be cut, and I think it happens this year. Aside from Nick Harris, no one else from that 2020 NFL Draft has been as much of a liability as Elliot. At least with Harris, there’s an element of “well, we had JC Tretter, so what has he really shown”; which is fair. Elliot has not had that issue, and most of the names who started over him were terrible.
Grade: F
4. Tommy Togiai
When you draft a workout warrior who wasn’t good enough to start at Ohio State, what can you really say you expected? He’s a project pick, with all the potential in the world and potentially none of the talents. He was a mid-round pick in 2021, so it’s too soon to give up on him, but if you think he’s being retained because he’s a great option, then you’re not paying attention. He’ll make the team purely on his potential alone.
Grade: D+
3. Perrion Winfrey (R)
The Browns went defense in the 2022 NFL Draft, and one of the more exciting players was Perrion Winfrey, a second-rounder in most, and some had as high as the last-first, who fell to the fourth. If he truly has the first/second-round talent, then Winfrey’s grade will skyrocket after this year.
Grade: C-
2. Sheldon Day
When Sheldon Day is the clear-cut second-best defensive tackle on your roster, you may have to ask yourself “what are we doing?”. Day’s not a bad player at all but he’s far from the playmaker you want in the middle. He’ll do his best and he’s not the worst option but you don’t want him being one of your two starters. His past body of work isn’t encouraging.
Grade: C
1. Taven Bryan
Somehow Taven Bryan is the best defensive tackle on the team. He’s had an up and down career until now, but if you were to tell me I had a Top 10 defensive tackle at one spot, and Bryan at the other, I’d be ok with that duo. I am, however, not ok with Bryan and whoever as my top two defensive tackles. This is the third year in a row Berry has done nothing to improve the middle of the line in the immediacy.
Grade: C+
The Defensive Ends
Isaac Rochell, Stephen Weatherly, Curtis Weaver
Curtis Weaver has not stuck around until now for a reason, and with the rookies ahead of him, he’s not making the team. He’ll be cut early. As for Stephen Weatherly or Isaac Rochell, they were brought in to push the rookies, not take their spots.
Grade: F
5. Isaiah Thomas (R)
He’s the third Isaiah Thomas that is going to be associated with the city of Cleveland, the first being a pain in the butt point guard who helped sink a lot of good Cavaliers teams, while the second was a …pain in the butt point guard who helped sink a good Cavs team…huh…Well, thankfully Thomas won’t be playing point but that’s mostly because this isn’t basketball, nor will he get a lot of reps anyway.
Grade: D-
4. Alex Wright (R)
Das Wunderkind Alex Wright has jumped from WCW to the world of pro football in a joke that I will not retire anytime soon. Like Perrion Winfrey after him, Alex Wright was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the middle of the 2022 NFL Draft, with the idea that he’d be an instant contributor. I think that’s fair, as Jadeveon Clowney and Myles Garrett have a history of missing games. Garrett also takes more plays off than Clowney, so when Garrett goes to the sideline, there are opportunities to make some noise. So Wright will get some action as a rookie. Hopefully, he can improve his pre-camp grade.
Grade: C-
3. Chase Winovich
Chase Winovich can either be a star-spangled darling in this Browns defense or a rotation piece. I don’t see him busting with the team, and if given enough opportunities, especially as a hybrid end/linebacker, Winovich could be something. Though he’s not exactly coming in with the most consistent play while in New England.
Grade: C
2. Jadeveon Clowney
I think Jadeveon Clowney is a heck of a run-stopper, the best on the line at any position, but save for three games in 2021, he’s just not an impressive pass rusher and has never been. He’s with the perfect team with the Browns, as he’s not a number one defensive option and in Cleveland, he doesn’t have to be.
Grade: B-
1. Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett is sacking his way to the Hall of Fame. He just needs to stay on the field and stay healthy to get there.
Grade: A+
Positional Grade and Evaluation
All in all, the defensive line is a largely unknown commodity. If Taven Bryan, Chase Winovich, Perrion Winfrey, and Alex Wright all produce like fans hope they can, and if Tommy Togiai can make a massive leap in production, this could be a very exciting, very talented front four.
If the status quo is the status quo, however, this team is screwed. The interior guys aren’t known to be great against the run, and Jadeveon Clowney has a history of inconsistent play. He had 6 sacks in three games last year, and then three sacks in 10 games. That’s not even factoring in his season-to-season inconsistencies.
Clowney may very well fall off this season too. He’s 29 with a history of injuries. Don’t be surprised if that happens.
Myles Garrett is great, but he can’t do it all on his own and he’ll end up sitting a lot during games because of how much he’s relied upon. Outside of him, you have no real reliable playmaker on the front-four that you can turn to if Garrett needs a breather, so you’re just hoping someone, anyone can step up and make some noise.
The second-best run stuffer on the edge from 2021, Porter Gustin, is in Miami now, and with himg goes some reliable depth. The Browns may need another body if people can’t do their job and I’d recommend Carl Nassib if things get that bad during camp and preseason.
The defensive tackles are bad, I’d give them a D+ on their own, but the ends are solid, with some nice depth, assuming injuries aren’t a factor. I’d give them a B. Yet, like the offensive line, the defensive line is measured as a unit and as a unit; yikes.
Defensive Line: C+