The Cleveland Browns have been tough to watch this season, at least when they’ve had the ball on offense.
Fortunately for the fans, that usually doesn’t last too long.
Their defense, however, has been a bright spot.
While that shouldn’t be much of a surprise, considering its elite personnel, even some of the lesser-known players have exceeded expectations.
With that in mind, Bradley Locker of Pro Football Focus named the Browns’ biggest midseason surprise player.
“Biggest Surprise: DL Maliek Collins,” Locker wrote. “When Collins inked a two-year deal with the Browns, it could’ve easily been perceived as a depth signing, especially with fifth overall pick Mason Graham being added along the team’s defensive line. Instead, Collins has played like one of the better interior defenders in football. His 90.4 PFF pass-rushing grade is the second-best at the position among qualifiers.”
Collins looked like the type of player who’d only be a rotational piece for depth and wouldn’t move the needle.
Instead, he’s been absolutely elite in the interior of the line.
He’s shutting down the run, and paired with Graham, the Browns now have one of the most physical defensive tackle tandems in the game.
Of course, it’s easy to play with confidence and freedom when you have Myles Garrett and Alex Wright around you, but they have also fed off Collins’ energy.
The Browns will try to climb into playoff contention in the second half of the season, and they will need to do much better on offense to have any chance to make the postseason.
But they can rest assured that their defense will perform, especially with a player like Collins exceeding expectations.
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