Cleveland Browns Have to Add a Defensive End
By Peter Smith
One of the biggest needs the Cleveland Browns need to address in the upcoming NFL Draft is the 5-technique defensive end position.
The difference between what Ray Horton says he wants from the position and what Mike Pettine wants at the 5-technique end are a stark contrast, despite using the same base look with their defensive line. The results have 2 players as ideal fits for what Horton wants – DeForest Buckner of Oregon and Chris Jones of Mississippi State.
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First, it’s important to understand what the 5-technique defensive end is and does. The Browns, be it with Pettine’s scheme or Horton’s, featured a true nose head up over the center and a defensive tackle, typically playing the 3 between the guard and tackle. The 5-technique end plays lined up on the other side of the nose with his head lined up over the outside shoulder of the tackle. Sometimes, they move around, either head up over the tackle or further outside if needed, but that’s the general idea.
J.J. Watt, Cameron Heyward, Fletcher Cox (though Philly is changing to a 4-3 and moving him inside) are some of the best in the business. It’s easy to see how massive of an impact these players have for their respective defenses both in shutting down the running game but also generating a pass rush. The Browns simply do not have anyone on that level and it’s a holding them back from making big strides defensively.
Horton has emphasized big guys who can run, which he had in both Arizona and Tennessee. He wants enormous, clogging defensive linemen that have the power to push back the line of scrimmage, but are still athletic enough to chase plays down and offer something as a pass rusher.
As opposed to having defensive linemen at the 3 and 5 penetrate and cause problems in the backfield (which was Pettine’s goal), Horton seems to want a wall of powerful players that can collapse and clog the opposing line, allowing their linebackers to fly around and make plays relatively unencumbered. On obvious passing downs, they can sub in sleeker, faster plays to rush the passer while still having speed at the second level that can cover.
Regardless of the defensive scheme, something all teams covet at this spot is length. The reason is so the opposing tackle can’t simply reach them. In effective, the offensive tackle gets the outside of the defender, simply seal him inside and give the ball carrier easy access to the outside of the formation and potentially have a big running lane. Height and arm length help negate the ability for the opponent to reach them, wash them inside and maintain outside contain, forcing the ball carrier inside and into their help.
The Browns have Desmond Bryant on the roster currently to play the 5. Bryant is a mediocre run defender who doesn’t hold up at the point of attack terribly well, but he is an effective pass rusher. Nothing about the coaching change impacts the need for the position or how the Browns should approach Bryant.
Bryant tends to get hurt and miss time and the Browns simply didn’t have another player that was suited to play that spot. They would use bad fits at that spot such as John Hughes, who isn’t athletic enough or Xavier Cooper, who isn’t long enough to do the job. Bryant, on his own, simply isn’t enough to hold down the position, nor should he be expected to be, and it’s been a major problem for the defense.
Adding some help there would reduce Bryant’s workload and he can focus on what he does best, which is rushing the passer. It gives the Browns more versatility and athletic bodies to use up front, which is always valuable. Hopefully, Bryant would stay healthier and be less worn down over the course of the season.
Where the coaching change is important is what the Browns are looking for in a player for that spot now. Going by what Horton has said and his history, he wants a defensive tackle sized player with defensive end athleticism and length. It’s not easy to find and there aren’t a ton of players that can do it.
Horton had Calais Campbell in Arizona and had DaQuan Jones in Tennessee. Campbell came out 6’7 ¾” 290lbs while also being explosive in testing with a 111” broad jump and 34 1/2” vertical. He also showed excellent agility with a 7.19 3-cone drill and a 4.63 short shuttle. The 7.19 3-cone is outstanding for his size and from Pro Day, but worth pointing out he had a 7.45 3-cone at the combine.
Daquan Jones isn’t ideal for the job and is a player that Horton inherited when he went to Tennessee. But to put things in context, Jones measured 6’3 ¾” 322lbs. His broad jump was 101” while his vertical was 27.5”. Agility-wise, Jones had a 7.73 3-cone and 4.65 short shuttle.
This gets back to Buckner and Jones and why they are ideal candidates to do the job for what Horton wants.
Buckner measured in at 6’7” 291lbs. He had a vertical jump of 32” with a broad jump of 116”. Buckner also had a 7.51 3-cone and 4.47 short shuttle. Overall, a good day for Buckner in terms of checking boxes for what the Browns need athletically from the position.
Chris Jones measured in 6’6” 310lbs. He jumped 106” in the broad and 24 ½” in the vertical. For the 3-cone, Jones put up a 7.44 and a 4.62 short shuttle. His vertical jump wasn’t great but he did well for his agility at his size.
In terms of their athletic footprint, it’s not difficult to see how Chris Jones and Buckner fit what Horton is looking for in a defensive end. Buckner offers a similar package as Campbell did coming out while Jones is more of the wide bodied player that Daquan Jones is in Tennessee. The difference there is Jones is taller, sleeker and more athletic.
They both have the sheer size and length necessary to do the job. Athletically, they are big enough to hold up at the point of attack and athletic enough to create problems in the pass rush, which is incredibly important as the Browns need players that can offer versatility and offer potential in any situation.
At Oregon, all Buckner’s role was to play the 5. The Ducks run a base odd front, so he’s accustomed to taking on the run and rushing the passer from that spot. He certainly has the ability to slide inside and use quickness to shoot gaps in obvious passing downs.
Buckner is still raw in terms of nuance and technique when it comes to using his hands and being a consistent player, but he still managed to rack up a ton of productivity this year, racking up 17 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. With the five passes he deflected, the hope with a guy like Buckner is as good as he was this year, he’s only scratching the surface of what he can be and will only get better in the NFL with consistent coaching. Lastly, Buckner just turned 22 years old in March.
Meanwhile, Chris Jones played all over Mississippi State’s defensive line. In what has become a tradition for the Bulldogs under Dan Mullen, they move guys around to put them in position to make plays. The Bulldogs have sent some big, talented, versatile defensive linemen to the NFL in recent years. Before Jones, Fletcher Cox was the 12th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft and this past year, Preston Smith was the 38th overall pick.
Jones has a lot to live up to with the guys who came out before him. People will point to his production as a reason to knock him. He had just seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks and four pass deflections this past year, which isn’t all that different from what he did either of his two other seasons in Starkville.
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The argument for Jones is that he was a disruptive player that did far more than his stats suggest. And with further development, the stats will follow.
Both Smith and Cox had bigger final years in college but had largely the same production as Jones did up until that point. Teams are hoping that had Jones stayed for his senior year, he would have put up a big statistical year and they are getting him right before he hits that level.
Buckner is all but a lock to be a top six pick. And if the Browns don’t take Carson Wentz second overall, Buckner appears to be the smartest play for the Browns with that pick. They’d hope to have assembled a premier defensive line between Danny Shelton coming into his sophomore season along with John Hughes, who has been steady and effective with some young, developing players behind them such as Xavier Cooper and Jamie Meder.
If the Browns do take Wentz or go in another direction with their top pick, Jones becomes the next best option. Depending on where one looks, the opinions on where Jones will go are all over the place. Some view him as a first-round prospect while some seem to believe he’s more suited to last until the third round.
For the Browns, it would ideal for Jones to last until the 32nd pick in the draft. If they’re confident in that fact, they should sit tight and let it happen. If they love Jones, they might not hesitate to move back into the end of the first round to make sure they get their man. They obviously have the extra picks to make such a move, having 10 in this year’s draft and 10 next year.
The end of the first round is littered with teams that could potentially snatch up Jones. Specifically, the Buffalo Bills at the 19th pick, the Houston Texans at 22, the Green Bay Packers at 27, the Kansas City Chiefs at 28, the Arizona Cardinals at 29 and the Denver Broncos at 31.
These are all teams that employ odd fronts and could be in the market to really nail down the defensive end spot. To some extent, the Browns basically just have to sit tight and hope the Bills and Texans go in different directions with their picks. After that, the Browns may want to start working the phones on a deal.
Minnesota likely will want to sit tight and grab a weapon for Teddy Bridgewater while the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers probably aren’t looking to make a deal with the Browns. As a result, the team that stands out as a possible trade partner is the Seattle Seahawks at 2.
Despite the fact that the Seahawks were a contender for the Super Bowl and will be again, they have major work to do on the offensive line and may want additional running back help, given the retirement of Marshawn Lynch. They might be interested in adding some extra picks to help.
All hope isn’t lost if the Browns aren’t able to land Buckner or Jones, but they do stand out as the best options for what Horton wants. Some other prospects in this class that could fit what the Browns are looking for that appear to fit the right profile are as follows.
Dean Lowry from Northwestern is among the more intriguing prospects in this class. Possessing the size at 6’6” 296lbs, Lowry had a standout performance at the scouting combine. He jumped 114” in the broad and 32 ½” vertical along with a 7.26 3-cone and 4.38 short shuttle; outstanding on all fronts.
The one issue that hurts Lowry slightly physically is having short arms. Hardly a deal breaker, having short arms can make it difficult to get into the body of opposing blockers to take advantage of strength and power, limiting what they can do.
On tape, Lowry wasn’t as impressive as Jones or Buckner, but he wasn’t bad by any stretch either. He had some standout performances this season and was impressive at the East-West Shrine Game. He’s somewhat of a wildcard on draft day because of his athletic potential, but if the Browns don’t address this issue early, Lowry could be a nice pickup on day 3 of the draft.
Bronson Kaufusi from BYU is a player that should be on every single team’s board, which illustrates just how versatile he is, but also how in demand he may be. He has played the 5 for BYU in a 2-gap scheme, but he’s also been an outside linebacker and an interior defensive lineman. He’s willing to fit his body to whatever a team wants to do with him.
Kaufusi also crushed the combine in testing at 6’6” 285. He broad jumped 111” and had a vertical of 30”. Where he really impressed is with his 7.03 3-cone drill and 4.25 short shuttle and it’s evident on tape. He is a tremendous athlete on the field and that’s what allows him to play so many positions at a high level. The one thing some may hold against Kaufusi is the fact he’s 24, but he still should be gone sometime on day 2.
Ufomba Kamala from Miami fits the bill from a physical and athletic standpoint and was thought of highly enough to warrant an invite to the NFL combine. As a late round flyer, Kamala is an interesting prospect. On tape, the quick twitch ability and agility he showed in testing hasn’t been there and he’s more of a project with potential to get better than anything else.
Two prospects that appear capable of doing the job but are more of projections at this point are Joey Bosa from Ohio State and Carl Nassib from Penn State. Both have the athletic traits a team would look for at that position and would simply want them to gain weight. Both are willing to play with power, anchor against a double team and offer as much upside as anyone mentioned as it relates to rushing the passer.
With both Bosa and Nassib, it basically comes down to whether or not the Browns and specifically Horton believes in them enough to take them as high as would be needed for a projection. Bosa is projected as a top 6 pick while Nassib should be gone on day 2 of the draft. If they can do the job, they can be tremendous pickups but there is a little risk of trying to put a square peg in a round hole with these 2.
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For all of the holes the Browns have on their roster, and there are a ton of them, the defensive end position stands out like a sore thumb. Not only is it currently a problem but it’s a huge opportunity to find a solution, get an impact player and really help the defense as a whole. From helping really clamp down on the run to creating an interior pass rush, the Browns can improve the two biggest problem areas from their defense last year. For what Horton wants, it’s a difficult role to fill, but the Browns need to make finding an impact player at the 5-technique a priority.