6 Browns Who Could Be Cut Before Playing a Snap

2. Jowon Briggs, Defensive Tackle

Another strength for the Browns is at defensive tackle. When they signed Jim Schwartz to be their defensive coordinator, they switched their approach on the line. Under Joe Woods, they wanted smaller defensive tackles who could win with speed. He believed they should go after the quarterback with everything they had and "stop the run on the way to the quarterback."

Schwartz understood there's a need for more power. That's why they signed Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst, and Shelby Harris while using a third-round pick on Siaki Ika. The results were plain to see as the defense was vastly improved and Schwartz won the NFL Assistant Coach of the Year Award.

All four D-tackles return in 2024 and they added free-agent Quinton Jefferson. They weren't done there as they selected Michael Hall, Jr. in the second round (which was their first selection) and Jowon Briggs in Round 7.

Briggs is an interesting addition. The 6-foot-1, 313-pounder spent two years at Virginia before heading to Cincinnati for three seasons. He had a breakout campaign in 2022 with 61 tackles and three sacks but saw his numbers drop as he had just 27 tackles in his final year with the Bearcats.

Even with the dip in production, it was a surprise to see him go undrafted. Briggs is a run-stuffer with tremendous power and while he might not play all three downs, he's a specialist. In Cleveland, however, it won't be easy to make the roster. He's behind Tomlinson and Ika and while Ika didn't record a stat as a rookie, GM Andrew Berry is hesitant to move on from players he drafted that early.