Going into the offseason the Cleveland Browns knew that they needed to upgrade at the safety position.
They already have young stud defensive backs, but needed to find long-term safety options.
The organization decided to bring in veterans Karl Joseph and Andrew Sendejo to provide depth at the position.
Cleveland believes they found a future full-time starter in the backfield during the 2020 NFL Draft.
They selected LSU safety Grant Delpit during the second round of this year’s draft.
BREAKING: #Browns draft LSU S Grant Delpit pic.twitter.com/Xis19mGHvL
— Brad Stainbrook (@StainbrookNFL) April 25, 2020
He has a few holes in his game, but has pure first-round talent and should be a long-term solution for the Browns at the safety spot.
Who is Grant Delpit?
The three-year safety put together solid numbers throughout his career at LSU.
He finished with 60 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, and one interception during his freshmen season.
Delpit followed that up with 74 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and five interceptions during his sophomore campaign.
Sadly, he wasn’t able to top his outstanding sophomore numbers during his final year in college, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have success his junior year.
In 2019, Delpit recorded 65 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions through 14 games.
He is incredibly versatile with upside in man and zone coverage.
Delpit has strong ball skills and is excellent at attacking the ball downhill against the run.
He has great range and someone you can trust to blitz effectively.
He is also known for having quick feet and can play just about anywhere in the backfield.
Areas Where He Needs To Improve?
On paper, Delpit looks like a first-round talent, but there are reasons why he fell into the second round.
Mainly, the biggest issue is his tackling or the lack of it.
He improved on his tackling during his final year at LSU, but it’s still a concern going forward.
Good luck throwing the ball when Grant Delpit is in the area. pic.twitter.com/YjFISmmIWL
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) October 13, 2018
There are a few fundamental areas that Delpit needs to improve upon, but these things are fixable.
The Browns have a talented prospect on their hands without too many big issues in his game.
Will Delpit Start in 2020?
The Browns spent an early draft pick on Delpit which means they have high hopes for him going forward.
At the moment, Delpit is projected to be the starting free safety.
However, it’s tough to believe the Browns would hand him the starting job after bringing in veteran talent this offseason.
It seems that Joseph and Sendejo would be the better duo to begin the season while Delpit learns as the backup option.
Andrew Sendejo shows great awareness with an INT on the deflection.#PHIvsMIN | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/1iQXwLvOmx
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) October 13, 2019
The Browns aren’t exactly sure that Delpit is ready to start at the professional level while Sendejo has 10 years of experience in the league.
The good news is, Delpit has the versatility to play both safety positions, so there should be plenty of opportunities for him as a backup player.
It wouldn’t be surprising for Delpit and Sendejo to compete for the starting job in camp, but at the end of the day, the Browns will likely opt to have the rookie sit and learn before starting in Cleveland.
However, it appears the Browns have a long term starter of the future at the safety spot with Delpit.
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