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July 31, 2018Cleveland Browns training camp is in full swing as the Browns begin their trek to the 2018 regular season. The team is just under two weeks away from hitting the field for the first preseason game of the season. Today, I continue to get you ready for the season by taking a look at the defensive tackle unit in my position preview series. The defensive tackle corps is a young group with a few tweaks from the previous season. Let’s take a look at the Browns defensive tackle unit going into the 2018 NFL season.
Major Additions: NA
Major Subtractions: Danny Shelton
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2018 Cleveland Browns Position Preview: Quarterback, Running Back, Tight End/Fullback, Wide Receiver, Offensive Line and Defensive End
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Position Overview
The Browns defensive tackle unit is a really young group. Cleveland decided to shake up the group in a big way by trading Danny Shelton, who had manned the middle of the defensive line for the past three seasons. The Browns did not really replace Shelton with anyone outside the organization. The team is expecting the young guys to fill in the open spot.
Larry Ogunjobi is the most talented player in the defensive tackle room. In his rookie year last season, Ogunjobi was very productive, but his playing time was lighter than it should have been. He has freakish ability for a man his size, showing an impressive combination of strength and quickness. He is a penetrating lineman who can make plays in the backfield. This ability especially showed up last year as a run defender. He played extremely well as a run defender, but he should be a good pass rusher with more reps this season because of his penetrating skillset. This could be a breakout season for the second year defensive tackle. Ogunjobi should see a huge jump in playing time and will likely be fighting for a starting role.
Trevon Coley was a breakout player in the preseason last year. The undrafted lineman earned a roster spot, along with a starting role on the defensive line because of that performance. His last season was OK. He was a solid run defender but offered very little as a pass rusher. He received a lot of playing time, which should help him down the line in his development. Coley will be battling for starting spot once again this preseason, but his roster spot is a lot more certain this time around.
Caleb Brantley is another second-year defensive tackle on the Browns roster. He had an up and down rookie season in his limited playing time. He is in the similar mold of Ogunjobi. Brantley has good quickness and movement skills for a defensive tackle. He can pop into the backfield as a penetrating lineman. He was also strong as a run defender because of this ability. Brantley showed up in flashes. He needs to be more consistent and disciplined in order to make a big jump this season. Talent-wise, Brantley is almost right there with Ogunjobi.
Jamie Meder is the veteran of the defensive tackle unit. Meder was having a solid last year before he was hit with a season-ending injury. He does not have the freak athleticism like Brantley and Ogunjobi, but Meder fills a role of clogging the middle of the line. He will not be a sack artist, but he is a valuable rotational lineman in the run defense. His veteran experience could give him the leg up in the fight for one of the starting interior defensive line spots.
The position is not overly deep, so I think the Browns will go with a lot of sub packages where they decide to use either Myles Garrett, Chad Thomas, Carl Nassib or Emmanuel Ogbah inside on passing downs. This can limit the stress of having a shorter depth chart of defensive tackles. The Browns have a lot of versatile defensive ends that can move inside.
The defensive tackle unit is young, really young. Meder is the oldest player in the unit and he is just 27 years old. So, the group lacks experience but has a lot of potential. The two starting spots in the interior of the defensive line are not set in stone yet. The performance in the preseason will determine who gets the most snaps this season. I like the potential of this unit, but the corps needs to show that they can be productive in the NFL on a consistent basis.
Biggest Strength: Run Defense
The Browns defensive tackle unit is filled with defenders who are strong against the run game. It begins with Ogunjobi. In his first season in the NFL, the defensive tackle was a disruptive force with the penetrating ability to make plays in the backfield. He has the strength and quickness that is ideal for a tackle in the run game. Beyond Ogunjobi, Meder, Coley, and Brantley are all solid to good in run defense. The Browns tackles should be the centerpieces of the Browns strong run defense.
Biggest Question: Depth
The Browns depth at the defensive tackle position is not overly deep and talented. Ogunjobi has the talent to be a really good tackle, but beyond him, I question the depth of the unit. Meder is a good rotational player, but not a starting quality tackle. Both Brantley and Coley were up and down in their seasons last year. Cleveland is depending on them for a lot, but it is hard to tell what we will get from these young inconsistent players. The depth of talent is just not there in the unit’s current state.
Key Player: Larry Ogunjobi
The Browns most talented defensive tackle is Ogunjobi. He has a skill set that separates him from the rest of the group. He has a combination of strength and quickness that is incredibly rare to see in a man his size. The defensive tackle has the potential to be really good and should be the leader of the unit. He can be a playmaker and a disruptive menace in the middle of the defensive line. If he can reach his potential, Ogunjobi can be the player that lessens the pressure on the rest of the unit because of the attention he could draw, giving his teammates better opportunities to be productive.
Top Training Camp Battle: Larry Ogunjobi vs Trevon Coley vs Jamie Meder vs Caleb Brantley
The Browns are not really set on who will start at the two defensive tackle spots on the defense. The battle for the starting spots and the majority of snaps will come down to Ogunjobi, Coley, Meder, and Brantley. Early in practice, Coley and Meder have taken the first team snaps. But as I have said earlier, Ogunjobi is the most talented player in the group. He should be able to push his way to the starting lineup. Ogunjobi has played the majority of his time at the one technique position, so he would likely take that spot. But, he is talented enough to play the three-technique, too. His versatility can make any of the other three a viable player to start on the line. Coley and Brantley would compete for the three-technique spot, while Meder would battle for the one technique spot.
Opinion
This position is a bit mystifying to me. Ogunjobi should be the centerpiece of the defensive line. But, last season he saw limited time and so far this season he is being played on the second team. He should not sit behind anyone in this unit. I think Ogunjobi has top-level talent and can be a playmaker for the defense. I don’t get why they are holding him back. Let him loose. He can be the difference in making the defensive tackle corps better.
The rest of the unit is just a bunch of unknowns. I just don’t know what to expect from anyone else in the unit. Well, I do expect Meder to be a solid rotational tackle, who will perform well against the run. But, I don’t think he has starting quality talent. Coley and Brantley are mysteries. Will they take the next step and be consistent this coming season? I just don’t know. This makes the position a volatile one. We don’t know what will happen.
Bold Prediction
The Browns defensive tackle position will end up being the team’s biggest need going into next offseason.