The Key Draft Pick That Helped Bolster the Cleveland Browns Defense
In the spring of 2019, if you would have told me that the Cleveland Browns would land Grant Delpit in the second round of the following years draft, I would have probably not have believed you. The team in Northeast Ohio was able to grab potentially the best pure safety in the draft with the 44th overall pick.
A major slippage from a once sure fire top 10 pick, turned into a second rounder. Delpit played his final year at LSU injured, often not being able to walk on Sundays, he recalls. As a sophomore in 2018, Grant Delpit was one of the best players in the country. Racking up 74 tackles, nine of them for a loss, adding in five sacks and it was safe to say the former Tiger could fly around. Adding in five interceptions and a forced fumble, it wasn’t hard to see why he was a major difference maker. The talented Delpit seen the numbers slip across the board in his junior season, which was suspected to be potentially historical, but any athlete knows how hard it is to move on a sprained ankle, let alone play the game of football.
As a junior, Delpit gathered two interceptions and two sacks, which were the major points in differences. The Cleveland Browns obviously have to believe that a lot of this is due to injury as well.
In free agency, Damarious Randall signed a one-year deal with the Las Vegas Raiders, a player that was doomed to be a goner’ for Cleveland. Delpit will likely be his replacement and an upgrade at that. The value of getting a player with the build, skill and traits to be a potential pro bowl safety in the second round is a steal. Simply why I myself am a big fan of this selection and believe it works well into the favor of the Cleveland Browns.
At nearly 6-foot-3 and over 210 pounds, Delpit has the frame to hold up in the league. Flying around making plays from free safety can put a ton of stress on the body, but Delpit has the ability to fit that mold. Maybe not in his rookie season, but the Browns will surely get creative with what they do with Grant Delpit. He has the ability to take on tight ends and stay with running backs, something that has hurt Cleveland in the past and something a team like the Baltimore Ravens love to utilize.
In his junior year despite less production, he showed up when it mattered most. In the National Championship game, Delpit had six tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. Games like this show the multiple ways that the rookie can factor into the game plan.
Sheldrick Redwine and Andrew Sendejo are other options that standout for free saftey on the roster, but there’s no question that Grant Delpit is the superior talent on the roster.
A healthy Grant Delpit could be the fix to any tackling concerns scouts had with him coming into the draft. Talking in space will go a long ways in the NFL, it can actually be make or break. Myles Garrett is the anchor of things on the defensive line, Delpit very well could be the same in the secondary along side Denzel Ward, another talented; young member of the Cleveland secondary.
The Delpit selections was a no brainer for GM Andrew Berry. A player that will undoubtedly shine and be an impact player rather quickly for the team in Orange and Brown.
