The linebackers were plagued by injuries last season, which led to a lot of personnel changes and therefore a lack of chemistry and consistency. However, the Browns managed to bring back nearly the entire group from last year, with the exception of Jacob Phillips who suffered a torn pec and won’t be playing this season. There is a lot of youth and potential in this group, which I want to highlight here.
1. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
JOK is such a fun player to watch as he seems to fly over the field, making plays from sideline to sideline. He is one of the most explosive linebackers in the NFL and a willing tackler. Additionally, he is a great blitzer, which we could see more often now with 2 big defensive tackles opening up lanes in front of him. However, he’s still acclimating to the game speed and playing with discipline. His athletic profile makes him an exceptional coverage linebacker, but he still can get lost on running plays or play action occasionally. It almost seems like he plays too fast for his eyes to react sometimes. Given his size profile, he won’t likely become a dominant run defender, yet he needs to improve at wrapping up tackles. From what I’ve heard, Schwartz’s defensive scheme is designed to be a little less complicated in terms off on field reads and communication, which could benefit him. If JOK can get his head up to speed, the ceiling for him is incredibly high and we could very well speak about him as a top 5 linebacker next season.
2. Anthony Walker
Walker is a true Mike linebacker with a very well-balanced skillset. He serves as an on-field extension of the coach, wearing the green dot and showcasing great processing and communication abilities. Off the field he isn’t any less impressive in his role as a leader and mentor in the locker room. Walker has a great feel for zones in coverage, yet he lacks some closeout speed if he is covering man-to-man or driving on throws. While he isn’t as undersized as JOK, he still is no thumper in the run game and lacks a bit of athleticism and strength. Despite being a solid rather than exceptional athlete, he still can blitz effectively. Overall, he is a great complement to JOK, forming a very good modern linebacking duo, a position that demands a lot of versatility in this day and age.
3. Sione Takitaki
Takitaki possesses a similar physical profile to Walker, yet he appears a little bit bigger and stronger on the field. He is a reliable tackler and can deliver the blow to opposing ball carriers. While he can play as a Mike linebacker, the Browns utilized him in a sort of hybrid edge role. On early downs, he would get into a wide alignment to defend the run. Although he’s not a consistent pass rushing threat, he can do some harm as a blitzer. Takitaki’s coverage skills aren’t horrible yet not a strength of his game due to some hip tightness and limited lateral movement. When tasked with the Mike role and wearing the green dot, he lacked a bit of command of the defense, leading to confusion. His role within this defense is rather limited, given that you do not really have to take Walker or JOK off the field. Nevertheless, he will see the field on some 3-linebacker sets and might get into a rotation with JOK against run-heavy teams or simply provide dependable depth in the case of injury.
4. Tony Fields
You could describe Tony Fields as a “baby JOK” since he shares similar qualities, although not to the same extend. Fields moves smoothly in space and flashed good play diagnostics in his limited snaps last season. He brings some great energy to the field and always appears fired up. Furthermore, he is a dependable tackler, but due to his size, he can get run over by bigger running backs or tight ends. His primary role on this team will be on special teams. However, if JOK were to sustain an injury, Fields could step in and provide about 70% of what JOK can do.
5. Jordan Kunaszyk
Kunaszyk is a big, fast and strong middle linebacker with great length. In his preseason snaps, he looked poised and demonstrated good on-field communication while wearing the green dot. He is athletic enough to hang with running backs or tight ends in man-to-man situations, but lacks zone coverage instincts. Kunaszyk is a decent tackler, which, combined with his athletic profile, makes him a valuable contributor on special teams. However, I believe he could develop into at least very good linebacker depth, if given the opportunity to prove himself.
(Update: Kunaszyk sustained a knee injury in the final preseason game against the Chiefs. Given that he was able to walk off under his own power, I assume/hope that pulling him from the game was just a precautionary measure and he won’t miss a significant amount of time. If he were to miss substantial time, I believe his roster spot could got to Matthew Adams, another special teams ace.)
6. Mohamoud Diabate
I was genuinely impressed by Diabate’s performance in preseason. While it’s important to be cautionary with preseason games, I believe the Browns might have found a diamond in the rough in him. Diabate possesses an impressive combination of speed, power and length, which should help him carving out a role on special teams in year one to secure a roster spot. He has very fluid hips for a linebacker and demonstrates great zone instincts that could make him a great coverage player. Although he is relatively light and may occasionally get overpowered, his long arms give him a leverage advantage against blockers. Throughout preseason, he consistently made impactful plays and seemed to always be around the ball. While I don’t want to overhype Diabate, I genuinely believe that if his preseason performance wasn’t just a fluke, he has the potential to develop into a starter on this defense within the next few years.
Linebackers on the 53-man roster (prediction):
- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
- Anthony Walker
- Sione Takitaki
- Tony Fields
- Jordan Kunaszyk
- Mohamoud Diabate
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