Grant Delpit

Delpit, who agreed to a three-year, $36 million contract extension with the Browns last December, is coming off a 2023 regular season in which he recorded 80 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pick in 13 contests. Now that he's presumably past the groin injury that cost him four outings down the stretch and kept him from reaching the 100-tackle plateau for the second straight campaign, the 2020 second-rounder is poised to maintain his key role in the Browns secondary, where he'll man the team's starting strong safety spot. In that capacity, Delpit should continue to produce IDP-worthy numbers, so long as he can stay on the field.

When healthy, Delpit has been a starter since being drafted in the second round of the 2020 draft. His 2022 was up-and-down but he played better toward the end of the season and led the team with 105 tackles and four interceptions. The 24-year-old returns as the team's top strong safety and may get a boost from new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. Delpit operates better near the line of scrimmage and in man coverage against tight ends, and Schwartz's scheme includes more man-to-man and single-high safety packages that allow Delpit to play in the box.

Delpit, who missed his rookie 2020 season with an Achilles' injury, dealt with a hamstring injury last summer, missing most of the preseason and the first game of the regular season. Beyond that, he played in 15 contests, and eventually became a starter during the final four games of the season. In the process, Delpit recorded double-digit tackles in two of those starts, which is an encouraging sign for a player whose main knock was his tackling ability. The Browns hope that game experience fuels further development this coming season, with Delpit and John Johnson projected to be Week 1 starters at safety.

The Browns were pleased to trade down three spots in the second round of the 2020 draft, adding a fifth-round pick in the process, to land Delpit. He ranked as a first-round talent by some evaluators and will compete for a starting job immediately. The glaring knock on the LSU alum is tackling. The safety was credited with 38 missed tackles over the last two seasons. General manager Andrew Berry acknowledged Delpit's need to work on tackling technique. The Browns see him playing both safety positions and lining up at multiple areas of the field.