Draft Picks 2010: What Joe Haden Brings to the Cleveland Browns Defense

Florida cornerback Joe Haden is now a member of a Cleveland Browns defensive secondary that has been less than spectacular the past few seasons, with the exception of fellow cornerback Eric Wright.

Wright was immediately thrust into a starting role almost at the exact time he was drafted in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of UNLV.

Never getting a competition to be a starter, Wright luckily became a big reward player since there were some questions surrounding off the field issues that caused Wright to leave USC and to transfer to UNLV.

The Browns took that risk since Wright could have been regarded as a first round talent.

Wright has played very well in his first two seasons and he has also been called one of the up-and-coming young cornerback talents in the NFL too.

But is all his success really due to his play on the field? Or more so due to the fact that other corners have been less of a talent across the field and a bigger target for opposing quarterbacks?

Perhaps a bit of both.

Now with the additions of both Sheldon Brown via trade and Haden via the draft, Wright has some competition for the first time in his professional career.

Should Wright take offense to these additions?

Not at all, and he should take it as a chance to become even better at his position because competition not only makes players better, but he has a veteran mentor in Brown now.

The Browns defense has so many looks under defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and in 2009 alone, almost half of all defensive formations featured three cornerback sets.

With three solid cornerbacks who can all start, the Browns depth at cornerback has dramatically increased.

The Browns only had 10 interceptions in 2009, four by departed safety Brodney Pool, but that will hopefully increase with better cornerback play in 2010.

There is still a huge hole to fill at starting free safety and with three picks in the third and fifth rounds, the Browns may still move around to have two second round picks to pick a starting caliber safety.