In order for the Cleveland Browns to improve their porous pass defense, they need to find a couple of missing pieces. There is a good chance that one of the missing pieces is another talented defensive back. Yes, they signed John Johnson III and Troy Hill in free agency, but Joe Woods wants to eventually run a base “Dime” defense which uses six defensive backs on the field at the same time. The browns were forced to run a multiple 4-3 and 4-2-5 defensive scheme this past season due to the lack of depth and talent at both the cornerback and safety positions. Kelvin Joseph might be the perfect fit for what Joe Woods and the Cleveland Browns are trying to do defensively.
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Kelvin Joseph An Ideal NFL Draft Fit For Cleveland Browns
How Kelvin Joseph Projects to the NFL
Kelvin Joseph has been steadily climbing up draft boards recently and for good reason. He has got great size (5-11, 197lbs.) and speed (4.28 40yd dash) for the position and shows great technique and instincts. Compared to most of the cornerbacks in this class, his uncanny ability to flip his hips smoothly in transition is unmatched.
When you are watching him on film you see a lot of things that make go “wow”. He shows a lot of promising NFL traits such as knowing when to perfectly snap his head around and look for the football, while staying on track and knowing exactly where the receiver is at all times. He also knows how to read and diagnose plays before they happen, as well as timing his pass deflections extremely well when the ball is in the air. One of his best games of the 2020 season was actually against Alabama. While lined up across from him, he held Heisman trophy winner DeVonta Smith to zero catches and intercepted a pass.
He is also extremely versatile when it comes to defensive schemes. Joseph played in both the slot and outside cornerback while at UK. He played safety in high school as well so it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if he takes some reps at safety in the NFL. This versatility is exactly what Joe Woods needs from his defensive backs. Woods ideally wants to run a dime defense because his entire strategy is to “Keep the offense in front of you”. Woods believes that having more athletic defensive backs on the field will give his defense a better chance to negate long or explosive offensive plays. He’s also historically known to favor heavy zone coverages, specifically cover-3, which also favors a player like Joseph because he excelled in zone coverage at Kentucky.
Where To Draft Him
Even though Kelvin Joseph his rocketing up NFL draft boards after his truly elite pro day results, he should be available in round two or three. A starting defensive backfield of John Johnson III, Grant Delpit, Ronnie Harrison, Denzel Ward, Greedy Williams, and Troy Hill would be a dream for the Cleveland Browns. The real question in that lineup is Williams due to nerve damage in his shoulder. If Cleveland still has questions about him heading into the draft, then it would be smart to pick a player like Joseph within the first two to three rounds.
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