Browns roster: Linebacker room in trouble, already?

The defense has full plans on being ranked #1 again

The Cleveland Browns’ offense this season will be the unknown to start the season, but the defense has full intentions of getting back to the top of the league ranking.

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Signing Myles Garrett to a new deal began the process, followed by using their first two draft picks on defensive players. The safety room saw three players leave, one by retirement, but Browns GM Andrew Berry inked two veterans in Damontae Kazee and Rayshawn Jenkins.

The defensive line has a few new faces in DT Maliek Collins, signed away from the San Francisco 49ers, CFL standout DT Ralph Holley, Jr., and a pair of defensive ends in Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (Tampa Bay) and Julan Okwara (Arizona).

Two key undrafted rookies brought in on the defense: DE Adin Huntington of Tulane and S Donovan McMillon from Pitt.

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The linebacker room has been a roller coaster for 2025, and the season hasn’t even begun yet. Is there room for concern? Will this group be an issue all year?

Browns DC Jim Schwartz is a proven defensive guru. He has a plan for every position, and one group’s actions affect the next line of resistance.

The defensive tackles plug their gaps to stop the run, and if Schwartz gets any sort of pass rush, that is deemed a bonus. The EDGE rushers are the main pass rushers and are designed to disrupt the opponent’s passing game. The linebackers are not expected to blitz except on occasion, so they are available to cover the tight ends and running backs, and are the primary tacklers on running plays. The cornerbacks cover mostly in man coverage, which leaves the safeties available for run support and also another body over the top.

This means the defensive line holds up the blocking while the linebackers seek out gaps to make the tackle on the ballcarrier. In Schwartz’s system, good linebacker play is paramount.

Dropping like flies

To say the problem began with this room this year isn’t entirely accurate.

Under Schwartz, the leading tackler morphed from safety Grant Delpit to linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koromoah. Yeah, JOK. This process proved true to Schwartz’s system. JOK had 101 tackles in 2023 and then was leading the team once again with 61 going into Week 8 against the Baltimore Ravens.

But in the third quarter, with a 20-17 lead, JOK suffered a neck injury after an awkward collision with RB Derrick Henry. The cart was summoned, and he was strapped to a full-body backboard. He was briefly hospitalized and released, and then added to IR for the remainder of the season.

The Browns took a cautious approach, and his future football playing career became uncertain. Since this occurred at the end of October, it was assumed that his rehab and healing process would enable him to be ready for training camp in late July. That’s nine months.

But on May 12, Cleveland placed JOK on the reserve/PUP list. The timing of this became a critical aspect, as it meant it made him ineligible to play for the entirety of this season. Suddenly, the WILL linebacker spot was open going into camp.

Next up, Devin Bush, Jr. (5’-11”, 235 pounds) was arrested on May 4 for simple assault, a second-degree misdemeanor, and harassment, which is a summary offense. This allegedly occurred in Bell Acres, Pennsylvania. The charges were the result of a domestic dispute with his girlfriend.

With the simple assault, the police report stated that Bush:

“Attempted to cause or intentionally, knowingly or recklessly caused bodily injury to (his girlfriend).”

The Browns re-signed Bush, age 27, to a one-year, $3.25 million contract this past offseason, prior to the arrest. Last year, he played in 16 games with 10 starts, and had 76 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 1 sack, three batted passes, six pressures, 1 knockdown, and 4 hurries.

He is coming off one of his best seasons since his rookie year and provided Cleveland with great run support, but struggled in pass coverage.

Bush could face missing games with a suspension because he is subject to the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. During the court process, he could be placed on the Commissioner’s Exempt list. He had his formal arraignment on July 18, and a pre-trial hearing is set for August 15.

Owusu-Koramoah is lost for the year and Bush may be out for six weeks to begin the season. Both outside linebackers would need replacements. At least the middle linebacker spot was secure.

Yeah. That.

Without any notice or any sort of tease, MLB Jordan Hicks retired. No whispers or rumors, or an arrest – just showed up one day to clean out his locker with only the proverbial “Gone Fishing” sign that remained.

The 33-year-old veteran always had high tackle numbers as a professional and was viewed as a huge signing in last year’s free agent period. This past season, he averted that plateau with just 78 tackles, but missed five games due to elbow, rib, and triceps injuries.

How odd is this? Beginning this season, all three starting linebacker spots for the Browns are open to competition. Has that ever happened before to any NFL club in the history of the league? 105 years of playing professional football, and not once has this occurred.

Only in Cleveland.

Solutions, solutions

Schwartz has his work cut out for him. So does LB coach Jason Tarver.

When JOK went down, it was Mohamoud Diabate (6’-4”, 225 pounds) who filled in at the WILL. Let’s examine his numbers as the interim: 13 games played, 11 starts, 70 total tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3 pass defenses, 0 sacks, 1 pressure, 1 hurry, and 581 defensive snaps (53.6%). In four games, he had seven or more tackles with a high of nine against the Ravens.

Diabate went undrafted in the 2023 NFL draft out of Utah. He was a surprising keeper on the 53-man roster and became a rookie project. He had a lot of success on special teams as a rookie, but more importantly, he actually played with the defense with one start. When JOK went down, out ran Diabate. Tarver and special teams coach Bubba Ventrone invested a lot in him and even waived veteran Tony Fields in a move and kept him instead. Fields was drafted by the Browns. Diabate was not. But he chose Cleveland.

He is a big man and improved as the year went on in JOK’s stead.

Diabate has shown he will hit anything that moves. He has great speed (4.52) and appears to be immune to pressure. He has learned from the veterans in the room and seems to soak up knowledge. One of his mentors is former Browns MLB Anthony Walker, who left the Browns to sign with the Miami Dolphins.

Diabate explained to cleveland.com about his relationship with Walker:

“Just being able to watch him and not only watch him but ask questions from him was really important to my development,” Diabate said, “and to help me understand what my job as a MIKE linebacker is, how to improve and the things that I need to improve on, because A-Walk was always really honest with me.”

Plus, he explains that his Muslim upbringing has given him a focus on the spiritual side of the game. He sees himself as a warrior.

At the SAM, it would make sense to insert this year’s second-round draft pick, Carson Schwesinger (6’-2”, 242 pounds). He had 90 solo tackles in college last year, which led the nation. He has great range and a sense of which gap to attack in order to find the ballcarrier. Schwesinger is also a meatier body that throws a good punch.

He ended up with the Browns as the very first pick in Round 2. It was assumed that Berry would select a safety or a receiver with that pick, and astonished most folks with the selection of the UCLA linebacker. But now, the selection appears to be genius now that Hicks has up and retired. Schwesinger has good speed (4.7) and is a sideline-to-sideline backer.

Very high football IQ with loose hips and fluid feet in coverage. Is it asking a lot of a rookie to start Week 1? You bet, and hopefully, the task is just another chapter in this kid’s playing career.

At the MIKE, the loss of Hicks leaves very big shoes to fill because he played 10 years with 952 career tackles, including 150 in 2019 alone.

The best bet is Jerome Baker (6’-2”, 232 pounds). He would be the elder of this new starting group in that he will turn 29 years old during the season. He is a local athlete as he went to Benedictine High School in Cleveland. Baker then had three seasons at Ohio State where he played in 33 games with 25 starts. He was taken in Round 3 of the NFL draft by the Miami Dolphins. He runs a 4.53.

Not long after the free agency period began, Berry signed Baker away from the Tennessee Titans and gave him a one-year deal. Baker has appeared in 104 career games with 90 starts. He has registered 632 total tackles, 33 tackles for loss, 24.5 sacks, 7 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery, 5 interceptions, 49 QB hits, 16 hurries, 22 knockdowns, 1 batted pass, and 66 pressures.

So, the experience is there with Baker. He has three seasons with over 100 tackles, including 126 in 2019.

Baker knows the game of football. He is fast and explosive. He has run recognition and rarely misses a tackle. Growing up a Browns fan, he must be enjoying being about to don the pumpkin helmet and perform in front of his hometown friends and family. Wonder if he still has that Johnny Football jersey in his room at his parents’ house.

Others to compete for playing time are Bookie Watson (6’-0”, 233 pounds), Winston Reid (6’-0”, 225 pounds), and undrafted rookie Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (5’-11”, 231 pounds). Do not count out Reid getting serious reps, who is a thumper.

A few things to consider about this year’s linebacker crew.

For one, except for Baker and Bush, they are all just kids. Diabate is 24, Schwesinger 22, Reid 25, Watson 24, and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold is 22. Another is the fact that there isn’t any consistency with this group since none of them have begun a season as an actual defensive starter for the Browns.

They will all have to learn how to compete not against their opponents, but with each other, while the game is going on. Usually, a linebacker group will play with the same guys for years and develop that chemistry.

For this group this year, chemistry lessons will be a class in session each week.