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How close are the Cleveland Browns to taking their first spot in the NFL Playoffs since the 2020 season?
The Browns ended the 2022 season with a record of 7-10, putting them in fourth place in the AFC North and 12th in the AFC. They added Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson on a four-year, $57 million contract in March. The former second-round pick out of Alabama can add experience to a defense that finished the 2022 season with 34 sacks, putting them in 28th place in the NFL.
The Browns hired Jim Schwartz to become the team's next defensive coordinator in January. Schwartz replaced Joe Woods, who was fired after spending three seasons with Cleveland.
“Jim Schwartz has been an outstanding coach in this league for a very long time, and we are thrilled that he is joining our staff to lead our defense as the defensive coordinator,” Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said in a January statement, via ESPN. “Jim has seen defensive success at each of his coaching stops because he knows how to get the best out of his players and will match scheme to suit strengths.
“Jim is a passionate leader who believes in teaching fundamentals. We're excited about the vast experience he brings to our staff to meet the demands it takes to consistently defend the varying offenses in the AFC North and across the National Football League.”
Cleveland welcomed seven rookies into its ranks via the 2023 NFL Draft. The Browns shored up their offense with the selections of Tennessee wide receiver Cedric Tillman and Ohio State right tackle Dawand Jones in the third and fourth rounds, respectively. Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika and Missouri defensive end Isaiah McGuire highlighted the team's defensive additions.
Who are some players who could have break-out seasons for the Browns in 2023?
Martin Emerson
How impactful will the Browns' cornerbacks be during the 2023 season?
Last year's defense allowed 3,336 passing yards, putting them in fifth place in the NFL ahead of the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys. Its 11 interceptions put it on par with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Arizona Cardinals. Emerson, a former third-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, placed fifth on the Browns' roster with 63 tackles and tied with cornerback Denzel Ward Jr. with 15 pass deflections.
Schwartz praised the trio of Ward, Emerson and a former first-round selection in Greg Newsome II earlier this month.
“We've got good corners,” Schwartz said, via ESPN. “and we're going to rely on those guys.”
Emerson played in 17 games and started in six for Cleveland last season. He earned as many as four pass deflections during a 23-17 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 12. The former Mississippi State standout made his expectations clear following a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 18.
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“I mean, when I got drafted here, I was expected to come in and play,” Emerson told the Akron Beacon Journal. “I'm a competitor and I want to give an impact right away. I feel like I can say I did that my rookie year.”
If Martin Emerson can find a larger role in Schwartz's defense, one can only hope Emerson and the rest of Cleveland's cornerbacks can have break-out seasons and keep the Browns towards the top of the league in passing yards allowed.
Elijah Moore
How talented will this Browns wide receiver room be?
The New York Jets Moore and their 2023 third-round pick were traded to the Browns for a second-round selection in March. Moore, a former second-round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, earned 984 receiving yards and six touchdowns during his first two seasons with New York.
Stefanski said the 23-year-old was more than just a slot receiver in March.
“I don't think he's just a slot,” Stefanski said, via ClevelandBrowns.com. “I know a lot of players that are his size kind of get, ‘OK, he must be a slot.' He's won plenty on the outside as well. He's the type of player you would just want to get the ball in his hands, and I think if you go back to his college tape, there's a ton of down-the-field throws.
“There's opportunities to hand it to him, throw it to him over the middle, throw it to him outside. I just think there's no shortage of ways that you want to get him the football.”
If Moore can build off of his first two seasons with the Jets, he can be a valuable part of a Browns offense that earned 3,710 receiving yards, putting it at 23rd in the NFL.
