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Cleveland Browns: Greedy Williams starting at CB

By Nicholas McGee

BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 20: Greedy Williams #29 of the LSU Tigers and Kristian Fulton #22 celebrate during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA - OCTOBER 20: Greedy Williams #29 of the LSU Tigers and Kristian Fulton #22 celebrate during the second half against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Tiger Stadium on October 20, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Greedy Williams, the Cleveland Browns’ top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, has already been lining up with the starting defense in OTAs.

The Cleveland Browns landed one of the steals of the 2019 NFL Draft when Greedy Williams fell to them in the second round, and he is already on course to be one of their starting cornerbacks as a rookie.

According to the Akron Beacon-Journal, Williams has been lining up as one of the two boundary corners along with Denzel Ward in the Browns’ nickel package, which is now effectively the NFL’s base defense, with T.J. Carrie handling slot duties.

Williams was already the clear favorite to be a Week 1 starter with Ward, but the Browns have refused to even create the veneer of competition, which they could have done so with veteran Terrance Mitchell and Eric Murray also on the roster and pre-draft concerns over his tackling and inconsistent effort level.

However, the Browns look to have no problems banking that Williams will be able to remain motivated for every game in the pros and produce the kind of performances that made him one of the best corners in college football.

Williams, according to Pro Football Focus, allowed a passer rating of 39.3 when targeted during his career at LSU.

Pairing him with last year’s fourth overall pick Ward, who earned Pro Bowl honors after a rookie season in which he had three interceptions and 11 passes defensed, would give the Browns a starting cornerback duo with the potential to become the class of the NFL.

Cleveland’s pass rush has the depth to inspire plenty of fear in opposing offenses, with Sheldon Richardson and Olivier Vernon joining Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi and Genard Avery up front.

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Playing behind that level of talent should theoretically make the lives of Williams and Ward much easier. If Williams realises his potential and Ward maintains the upward trajectory on which he started his career, there is little to stop the Browns’ pass defense from blossoming into one of the best in the league.

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