Cleveland Browns defensive tackle Danny Shelton is excited about what this year's draft could offer, and he should be.
The Cleveland Browns might have missed on 2015 first-round pick Cameron Erving. While the jury is obviously still out on the Florida State product, Erving has so far failed to solidify the center spot. Fellow 2015 first-rounder Danny Shelton, on the other hand, is beginning to look like a very smart investment. While the former Washington standout had his share of ups and downs as a rookie, he became a standout this past season.
The mammoth defensive tackle anchored Cleveland's defensive line for all 16 games, amassing 59 tackles and 1.5 sacks in the process. Pro Football Focus rated him 10th overall among all defensive tackles for the season.
If Shelton can be a top-10 player at his position again in 2017, Pro Bowl honors could soon follow. The potential for Shelton to get more national recognition could even increase if the Browns add another standout defensive lineman in the 2017 NFL Draft.
The draft is considered deep in defensive talent, and Cleveland might even be looking at a defensive end like Texas A&M's Myles Garrett or Tennessee's Derek Barnett with the first overall selection. This is a possibility that Shelton appears plenty excited about.
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"There's some great guys, and I'm all for D-line," Shelton recently said, per Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. "So if they want to help out the D-line, go right ahead because we've got a bunch of great guys, and I just know that those guys would make us even better."
Even if the Browns decide to go with a different position at No. 1 overall (quarterback, anyone?), the potential to beef up Cleveland's line is huge.
"You'll be able to get a starting edge rusher in the fourth round that last year or most drafts you'd compare to an edge rusher in the second round," NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock recently told Peter Kings of TheMMQB.com.
Shelton should be excited about the defensive potential in this draft—because is could possibly make him a lot of money on his next contract. Adding an elite pass-rusher or top-end defensive tackle like Stanford's Solomon Thomas will likely make it more difficult for teams to focus on slowing Shelton. If teams cannot consistently double team Shelton, then the big man's tackle and sack numbers are likely to only increase—and it will be harder to double team him with another elite talent on the line.
The switch to a multi-look defense under new coordinator Gregg Williams could also help increase Shelton's production. He produced a lot of tackles as a nose in Cleveland's 3-4 base defense, where is primary job is often to occupy blockers. If the Browns can build a functional 4-3 front, then Shelton will be freed more often to attack.
This could lead to more tackles and more sacks for Shelton, which could in turn yield Pro Bowl appearances, league-wide recognition and more future free-agent value. Shelton is under contract for two more years, and it already seems likely that the Browns will pick up his fifth-year option. If Shelton gets to play out his contract alongside a talent like Garrett, Barnett or Thomas, he's likely to become a legitimate star by negotiation time.
