Cleveland Browns: Nickel Defensive Line Has Potential
By Peter Smith
The most entertaining aspect of the Cleveland Browns’ defense in the preseason has been their pass rushing defensive line in the nickel defense.
On a defense with virtually nothing proven that will likely be one of the worst in the league, a potential bright spot this year could be the defensive line in nickel sets. The combination of length and athleticism give the Browns a lot of upside as a pass-rushing unit while having enough size to not be completely useless against the run.
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Headlined by Paul Kruger, who should have a bounce back season, the rest of the group includes Xavier Cooper and Carl Nassib at the tackles with Emmanuel Ogbah as the other end– a pair of rookies and a second year player.
Kruger struggled last year, in no small part due to his usage. His best performances came when Armonty Bryant was suspended, and he was put back in his natural rush position. This year, Kruger is back where he should be and is far and away the most proven player on this nickel front.
They’ve showcased him on the left side, but he could certainly flip sides based on where the best matchup is or as the situation dictates. He will have every opportunity to set the tone for this unit and take pressure off of the young guys.
On the inside, the Browns have a pair of third round picks that can be huge mismatches for opponents. A third-round pick in 2015, Xavier Cooper is being utilized in a role that fits his skill-set. Cooper has a fantastic first step that can catch opposing at a disadvantage. If a guard makes a mistake or takes a false step, Cooper can get on their hip and turn them sideways, allowing him to work his way into the backfield and cause problems.
What hurts Cooper is having short arms. This makes him a bad fit as a 5-tech defensive end, where he has been used with poor results. His lack of height and length make him more susceptible to get reached by opposing tackles, enabling the opponent to get outside of him. The lack of arm length is a disadvantage on the interior for opposing blockers who can lock on and extend against him, but it’s less of a problem because he’s on top of them so fast.
Next to him is Carl Nassib, one of the three third-round rookies on the Browns roster. Nassib has been terrific so far in the preseason. His combination of pad level and length make him difficult to block on the outside or the interior. Add in a consistent energy level, and he’s really wearing out opponents and providing a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
The agility on the inside is keeping opponents off guard and allowing both Nassib and Cooper to create pressure. The Browns coaching staff has also been utilizing stunts to switch up their looks and keep the opponent off balance. The most prevalent stunt has been an interior twist.
One of the tackles tries to attack the center, likely his outside shoulder, trying to create pressure there. The hope is that the guard that was lined up over him pre-snap will follow him, creating a hole in the ‘B gap’. The other tackle is looping behind with the goal of exploiting the space this creates.
Done correctly, both players end up being able to create pressure on the offense, but are doing it from different angles and keeping the opponent guessing. The combination of Cooper and Nassib was executed successfully against the Atlanta Falcons, when Carl Nassib notched a sack on the quarterback only to have it erased by a penalty for illegal contact.
Cooper and Nassib are big enough to play inside, but aren’t stout, so the use of stunts can help them be moving targets and more difficult to block by heavier and presumably more powerful offensive linemen. If they are slow or lack the communication to deal with the stunts properly, it could be a huge tool for the Browns. In fact, the Browns stunted with Jamie Meder and Danny Shelton which enabled Shelton to put pressure on the quarterback against the Falcons.
The last member of the defensive line in nickel is Emmanuel Ogbah. The first pick of the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft– many thought would go much earlier– has immense upside, but a long way to go in fully understanding how to utilize his immense physical gifts.
Ogbah can be slow off the ball when he’s trying to see the play and process it rather than just reacting. His pad level is inconsistent and he needs to improve his skills when it comes to disengaging from blocks. Despite all of those issues, Ogbah is big, he’s strong, he has remarkable speed and he has a terrific motor.
The Oklahoma State product has a long way to go in terms of his development, but he can wear down opponents with his activity level, and he has so much range that he’s never truly out of a play. If he can develop the tools to be an effective pass rusher, those gifts and the effort level will enable him to be a terrific threat.
The theme across the board with this group is energy and activity level. They might not be the most polished group, but at least in the preseason, they’ve been relentless and force opponents to play honest to the whistle. The group has been able to make plays on second and sometimes third efforts.
Over the course of the year, the key is going to be seeing if they can start winning earlier in the play. If they can do that, the group becomes truly dangerous and can start making plays in passing situations with the potential to cause turnovers.
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This is one of the areas of what is likely to be a terrible Cleveland Browns defense that will be fun to watch and see how it develops. The youth there can develop and become a true strength that has lasting power for this defense. Unfortunately, this group is utilized in obvious passing situations, and there are real questions as how to capable this defense will be at defending the run.