Browns Defense: Young and Tough

The combination of Tom Heckert and Mike Holmgren have the Browns drafting with a new philosophy which focuses on speed and athleticism as opposed to size and bulk. After years of draft busts – Courtney Brown and Gerard Warren to mention a couple- the last two drafts appear to have landed the Browns some potential big time playmakers to the defensive side of the ball in their attempts to be a contender in the vicious AFC North.

Joe Haden, 22, the 2010 first round pick out of Florida has all the makings of a shutdown cornerback in the NFL. Haden had a slow start to his rookie campaign but became a starter midway through the season and excelled to the point of being the number one corner. During the breakout season, Haden started the final seven games and was able to record six interceptions and a fumble recovery while also marking 18 pass deflections. This season, through only four games, Haden has continued to take strides towards becoming one of the leagues elite corners as teams have began to throw away from him on a regular basis. In week two of this season, Haden had a ludicrous five pass deflections against the Cincinnati Bengals. Look for Haden to be heading to Hawaii multiple times during his career.

Haden is not the only youthful playmaker in the Browns’ secondary, as he is joined by fellow 2010 draft pick TJ Ward of Oregon. Ward has proven himself to be a hard-hitting safety that led the Browns with 123 tackles last year and has brought a new kind of toughness to the secondary that hasn’t been seen since the return of this beloved franchise. Ward has laid the groundwork, in only a season and a third, to become a legitimate playmaker for the Browns, all at the young age of 24.

The strong drafts appear to have continued into this season, albeit only four games. As opposed to improving the secondary for a second straight year, the Browns front office decided to attack the defensive line and drafted two athletic and high energy players that have already made a difference for this Browns defense in 1^st rounder Phil Taylor and second rounder Jabaal Sheard.

Taylor, the defensive tackle from Baylor, has been a force in the middle of the line for the Browns this year already amassing twenty tackles and one sack. The most impressive aspect of Taylor’s game to this point has been his ability to continuously pressure the quarterback.

Sheard, the former Big East standout from Pitt, also has recorded one sack on the young season but seems to be in the backfield on every play. Sheard’s sack against the Colts was Dwight Freeneyesque as he recorded the sack-fumble and recovered the fumble on his own.

This four pack of young Browns, teamed together with other defensive standouts D’Qwell Jackson (AFC September Defensive Player of the Month) and Ahtyba Rubin (2.5 sacks) have the Browns’ defense on the upswing and potentially becoming a force over the next few seasons.