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Former Cleveland Browns safety Juan Thornhill stayed in the division after the Cleveland Browns released him; could they look to replace him in the 2025 NFL draft?
Thornhill is joining the Pittsburgh Steelers' dark side. The Browns must find a way to replace him. Thornhill was the Browns' center fielder at safety. He kept the lid on vertical passing attacks. The Browns need a long-term solution at the position. They need to look toward the draft.
Thornhill played through injuries during his time in Cleveland. He played in 22 of a possible 34 games. The Browns couldn’t find a replacement for him on the field. The immediate backup, Rodney McLeod Jr., retired. The Browns are currently rostering three former undrafted free agents: Ronnie Hickman Jr., Trey Dean III, and Christopher Edmonds.
The team didn’t address the need for free agency. The team must look toward the draft to replace Thornhill. Here are five safety prospects whom the Browns should target.
Xavier Watts has been the best ball hawk in college football over the last two years. The 5-foot-11 204 204-pound safety has led Notre Dame’s defense to two successful seasons. Watts won the Bronko Nagurski trophy in 2023, leading college football with seven interceptions. He followed that up with six interceptions this season. He was a Consensus All-American and helped lead the Fighting Irish to the College Football National Championship game.
Watts is a brilliant player who understands passing attacks like a quarterback does. He can quickly diagnose plays in the passing and running game. Watts is a physical run defender not afraid to get downhill, even if it leads to over-pursuing. Watts is a good, but not a great athlete, which could give teams concerns. However, a good athlete with his processing speed is more impactful than a great athlete with good processing speed.
Watts is a very intelligent player, he can develop into a coach on the field. He will make a great post-safety by keeping a lid on the NFL’s best passing attacks. Watts would fit in well with a Browns' defense that struggles to communicate and align properly. If the Browns want Watts to be the voice of the defense, they’ll need to pick him early. Watts projects as a round two pick, who could be selected in round one. Division rival Cincinnati Bengals hired Watts’ college defensive coordinator, Al Golden, to call their defense. Watts has the making of the ball-hawking AFC North safety who wins with his brain.
Andrew Mukuba is one of the most experienced defensive backs in the draft. The 5-foot-11, 186-pound safety is a defensive weapon with coverage skills to play in the slot, physicality in the run game, and the speed to patrol the back third of the field.
Mukuba has been one of the best defensive backs in college football since his freshman year at Clemson. Mukuba was the first freshman defensive back to start the season opener at Clemson. He won the ACC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and was on the Freshman All-American list. Mukuba spent the next two seasons with the Tigers before transferring to the Longhorns. Mukuba helped lead Texas to the College Football Playoffs.
Mukuba is an exciting player for teams looking for a center-field safety. He’s a ball-hawking safety with five interceptions last season. His coverage skills combined with his physicality in the run game will make him a future weapon in the NFL. Pairing him with Grant Delpit would help the defense expand their coverage menu. The Browns will have to take him early, as mock drafts project him to go on day two of the NFL draft.
Malachi Moore is a redshirt senior safety from the University of Alabama. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound safety started as a true freshman for the Crimson Tide. Moore is a versatile safety who is physical in the run game, with the range to cover deep. He has experience playing in the box or on top of the defense.
Moore is a great athlete who plays with unmatched urgency. He flies across the field to make plays. He’s a physical safety who loves to hit people. Moore’s physicality comes with a price, he is a hothead. He can see red and have a lapse of judgment, either before the whistle or after it.
Moore is a sticky coverage player but doesn’t have a lot of experience playing post-safety. He’s slow to read plays out when asked to play one high. Moore hasn’t had a lot of ball production in his career, he has seven interceptions.
Moore is an experienced prospect with plenty of upside. He would be a good addition to the Browns’ defensive backroom. His hard-nosed play style would fit right into a group that loves to celebrate every play. He’s a polarizing prospect, with many draftniks expecting him to go on day three of the NFL draft. I think the NFL will like his experience and athleticism, selecting him on day two of the draft. The Browns would walk away with a good safety if they selected Moore with pick 94.
Billy Bowman Jr. is a four-year starter with the Oklahoma Sooners. Bowman had an impressive career, wreaking havoc in the Big 12 and SEC. Bowman has 11 career interceptions, scoring touchdowns on three of them. The 5-foot-9, 192-pound safety has been a Swiss army knife in head coach Brent Venables’ complicated defense.
Bowman is a center fielder. He has the range to cover the deep portion of the field. He possesses good fluidity to stick with receivers in coverage. Bowman is an intelligent player who helps disguise coverages well. Bowman’s major weakness is his lack of physicality. He’s a poor run defender who overpursues ball carriers. He tends to drop his head when tackling.
Bowman will be a pure post-safety at the next level. He’s an above-average athlete with clear size limitations. He lacks the physicality to consistently fit the run. However, he’s a great pass defender with a lot of experience in different coverages. He can organize a defense pre-snap. Bowman has a clear role in the NFL despite his limitations. He would be a good fit for a Browns' defense needing a deep safety. Bowman is expected to be picked early on day three of the NFL draft.
Craig Woodson is an experienced college football player, spending six years in college. The 5-foot-11, 202-pound safety is a high-motor defender who quickly diagnoses plays. Woodson loves to get downhill and hit ball carriers.
Woodson is a good athlete who plays his best football closer to the line of scrimmage. He is sticky in coverage with good short-area quickness. Woodson’s quickness and strength help him cover receivers and tight ends. He does lack the top-end speed needed to stick with players for 20 yards at a time. Woodson is inconsistent in zone coverage. He struggles to track passes, and his eyes can linger on passing threats for too long.
Woodson is one of the most overlooked safeties in the class. His age and production profile may scare teams off. However, his ceiling is still high, as well as his floor. Woodson will be an immediate special teams contributor when he enters the NFL. He could potentially develop into a starter as he better understands passing concepts and tendencies. Woodson would be a great option for the Browns late on day three of the NFL draft.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 5 NFL prospects the Browns should pick to replace Juan Thornhill
Continue reading...
Thornhill is joining the Pittsburgh Steelers' dark side. The Browns must find a way to replace him. Thornhill was the Browns' center fielder at safety. He kept the lid on vertical passing attacks. The Browns need a long-term solution at the position. They need to look toward the draft.
Thornhill played through injuries during his time in Cleveland. He played in 22 of a possible 34 games. The Browns couldn’t find a replacement for him on the field. The immediate backup, Rodney McLeod Jr., retired. The Browns are currently rostering three former undrafted free agents: Ronnie Hickman Jr., Trey Dean III, and Christopher Edmonds.
The team didn’t address the need for free agency. The team must look toward the draft to replace Thornhill. Here are five safety prospects whom the Browns should target.
Xavier Watts, Notre Dame
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Xavier Watts has been the best ball hawk in college football over the last two years. The 5-foot-11 204 204-pound safety has led Notre Dame’s defense to two successful seasons. Watts won the Bronko Nagurski trophy in 2023, leading college football with seven interceptions. He followed that up with six interceptions this season. He was a Consensus All-American and helped lead the Fighting Irish to the College Football National Championship game.
Watts is a brilliant player who understands passing attacks like a quarterback does. He can quickly diagnose plays in the passing and running game. Watts is a physical run defender not afraid to get downhill, even if it leads to over-pursuing. Watts is a good, but not a great athlete, which could give teams concerns. However, a good athlete with his processing speed is more impactful than a great athlete with good processing speed.
Watts is a very intelligent player, he can develop into a coach on the field. He will make a great post-safety by keeping a lid on the NFL’s best passing attacks. Watts would fit in well with a Browns' defense that struggles to communicate and align properly. If the Browns want Watts to be the voice of the defense, they’ll need to pick him early. Watts projects as a round two pick, who could be selected in round one. Division rival Cincinnati Bengals hired Watts’ college defensive coordinator, Al Golden, to call their defense. Watts has the making of the ball-hawking AFC North safety who wins with his brain.
Andrew Mukuba, Texas
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Andrew Mukuba is one of the most experienced defensive backs in the draft. The 5-foot-11, 186-pound safety is a defensive weapon with coverage skills to play in the slot, physicality in the run game, and the speed to patrol the back third of the field.
Mukuba has been one of the best defensive backs in college football since his freshman year at Clemson. Mukuba was the first freshman defensive back to start the season opener at Clemson. He won the ACC’s Defensive Rookie of the Year and was on the Freshman All-American list. Mukuba spent the next two seasons with the Tigers before transferring to the Longhorns. Mukuba helped lead Texas to the College Football Playoffs.
Mukuba is an exciting player for teams looking for a center-field safety. He’s a ball-hawking safety with five interceptions last season. His coverage skills combined with his physicality in the run game will make him a future weapon in the NFL. Pairing him with Grant Delpit would help the defense expand their coverage menu. The Browns will have to take him early, as mock drafts project him to go on day two of the NFL draft.
Malachi Moore, Alabama
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Malachi Moore is a redshirt senior safety from the University of Alabama. The 5-foot-11, 196-pound safety started as a true freshman for the Crimson Tide. Moore is a versatile safety who is physical in the run game, with the range to cover deep. He has experience playing in the box or on top of the defense.
Moore is a great athlete who plays with unmatched urgency. He flies across the field to make plays. He’s a physical safety who loves to hit people. Moore’s physicality comes with a price, he is a hothead. He can see red and have a lapse of judgment, either before the whistle or after it.
Moore is a sticky coverage player but doesn’t have a lot of experience playing post-safety. He’s slow to read plays out when asked to play one high. Moore hasn’t had a lot of ball production in his career, he has seven interceptions.
Moore is an experienced prospect with plenty of upside. He would be a good addition to the Browns’ defensive backroom. His hard-nosed play style would fit right into a group that loves to celebrate every play. He’s a polarizing prospect, with many draftniks expecting him to go on day three of the NFL draft. I think the NFL will like his experience and athleticism, selecting him on day two of the draft. The Browns would walk away with a good safety if they selected Moore with pick 94.
Billy Bowman Jr., Oklahoma
You must be registered for see images attach
Billy Bowman Jr. is a four-year starter with the Oklahoma Sooners. Bowman had an impressive career, wreaking havoc in the Big 12 and SEC. Bowman has 11 career interceptions, scoring touchdowns on three of them. The 5-foot-9, 192-pound safety has been a Swiss army knife in head coach Brent Venables’ complicated defense.
Bowman is a center fielder. He has the range to cover the deep portion of the field. He possesses good fluidity to stick with receivers in coverage. Bowman is an intelligent player who helps disguise coverages well. Bowman’s major weakness is his lack of physicality. He’s a poor run defender who overpursues ball carriers. He tends to drop his head when tackling.
Bowman will be a pure post-safety at the next level. He’s an above-average athlete with clear size limitations. He lacks the physicality to consistently fit the run. However, he’s a great pass defender with a lot of experience in different coverages. He can organize a defense pre-snap. Bowman has a clear role in the NFL despite his limitations. He would be a good fit for a Browns' defense needing a deep safety. Bowman is expected to be picked early on day three of the NFL draft.
Craig Woodson, Cal
You must be registered for see images attach
Craig Woodson is an experienced college football player, spending six years in college. The 5-foot-11, 202-pound safety is a high-motor defender who quickly diagnoses plays. Woodson loves to get downhill and hit ball carriers.
Woodson is a good athlete who plays his best football closer to the line of scrimmage. He is sticky in coverage with good short-area quickness. Woodson’s quickness and strength help him cover receivers and tight ends. He does lack the top-end speed needed to stick with players for 20 yards at a time. Woodson is inconsistent in zone coverage. He struggles to track passes, and his eyes can linger on passing threats for too long.
Woodson is one of the most overlooked safeties in the class. His age and production profile may scare teams off. However, his ceiling is still high, as well as his floor. Woodson will be an immediate special teams contributor when he enters the NFL. He could potentially develop into a starter as he better understands passing concepts and tendencies. Woodson would be a great option for the Browns late on day three of the NFL draft.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: 5 NFL prospects the Browns should pick to replace Juan Thornhill
Continue reading...
