Browns’ lack of defensive depth pretty glaring in first preseason game loss

I still feel pretty confident in the Browns’ defense for the regular season. We’ve heard about the piling up of injuries in the secondary, though, throughout camp. When the preseason game happened, the depth after the first couple of units was pretty bad in some aspects. It makes sense, as many of the guys playing defensive back were just signed recently. Half of the names were ones that even I did not recognize, and that never happens in a training camp for me.

Cleveland was also the only team to give up more than 30+ points in the first full week of the preseason. Not that that matters much, but still.

Below, we analyze the snap counts and stats on defense for the Cleveland Browns’ first preseason game against the Chicago Bears.

Defensive Line

• While the offensive starters played two series (10 snaps), the defensive starters played just three snaps. A three-and-out, and they were done.
• When you think about the fact that Maleik Collins, Mike Hall, and Sam Kamara were idle with injuries, it’s hard to evaluate too much of the defensive tackle depth from this game, aside from maybe Adin Huntington. The defensive end depth is a little more questionable, which is why Cleveland has been trying to add a veteran to the mix.

Linebacker

• Quincy Williams made a nice tackle in his one series.
• On both sides of the ball, there weren’t too many players who stood out on the back-end of the roster. But one of those players who did stand out was LB Winston Reid, who is fighting to make the roster again. He did well for himself, and was also PFF’s second-highest graded defender for Cleveland with an 89.7.
• LB Justin Jefferson was on the opposite end of grades, receiving a PFF grade of 35.5.

Cornerback

• The lack of experience at cornerback was evident, with Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell sitting out.
• The player who stood out was rookie Michael Coats, having tight coverage to defend a pass and also jumping a pass for an interception. Coats received the highest defensive grade from PFF for Cleveland (90.0). In a matter of two days, he went from off my radar to me putting him on the roster if I had to choose between back-end depth.

Safety

• We know that Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren are the top three safeties.
• Next up in that competition would be Donovan McMillon and Christopher Edmonds, but neither one did anything to distance themselves. Edmonds fell down on one of the Bears’ touchdown passes.