Danny Shelton Can Be Key Piece for Cleveland Browns as a Rookie

Danny Shelton was one of the more polarizing prospects in the 2015 NFL draft. Onlookers essentially fell into two groups.

The first group saw Shelton as a Dontari Poe/Haloti Ngata type of player, a nose tackle who could command two gaps against the run on early downs before being a disruptive interior penetrator on passing downs. His ability to play a huge number of snaps at Washington with his outstanding athleticism stood out.

The second group questioned Shelton's play on the field. Playing all of those snaps offered plenty of examples of Shelton getting overwhelmed by double-teams and struggling to be impactful as a pass-rusher. Attracting double-teams alone isn't valuable; standing up to them effectively is.

Clearly, the decision-makers for the Cleveland Browns fell into the first group.

More specifically, head coach Mike Pettine and defensive line coach Anthony Weaver saw him as the clear top defensive tackle in his class. Pettine said to Andrew Gribble of ClevelandBrowns.com, "He was the best one he watched. He was a guy right out of the gate that we had targeted.”

Pettine and Weaver were so impressed with Shelton that they selected him with the 12th overall pick in the draft. Selecting a nose tackle with the 12th overall pick in any draft puts a lot of pressure on that player to perform. Being a nose tackle selected that high typically means you can't afford to be just a two-down player.

Over the long term, the Browns will expect Shelton to be a three-down contributor. During his rookie season, he won't need to be that good to provide huge value.

The Browns had one of the best pass defenses in the NFL last season. They ranked eighth in yards allowed through the air, but that's slightly misleading, as they were far better than eighth on a snap-by-snap basis.

Football Outsiders' DVOA metric, which measures snap-by-snap efficiency, ranked the Browns pass defense second in the league. Under the same metric, the Browns ranked as the second-worst run defense in the league.

With a high-quality pass defense already in place, one that is likely improved by the addition of Tramon Williams, the Browns only need to improve against the run to be a dominant defense. Adding Randy Starks and Xavier Cooper will help the defensive line, but Shelton's play will be most important against the run.

If he can be an effective two-down player during his rookie season, he will elevate the rest of the run defense and set the pass defense up in more favorable down-and-distance situations.

Rookies can take time to adjust to the NFL, but that's not what the Browns are expecting from Shelton. When he was explaining the team's decision to select the then-21-year-old, Pettine pointed to the quality of opposition he faced in college, via Gribble:

"

He doesn’t play to that [disappointing combine] speed and the college coaches who have gone against him have made the comment they’re glad he’s gone. He’s gone against elite competition and played well. I think he’s an example of you believe the tape more than you believe the stopwatch or tape measure.

"

Through two preseason games, Pettine has reasons to be optimistic about Shelton's value against the run. He hasn't had enough opportunities to prove his value against double-teams, but he has shown an ability to win in one-on-one situations with his athleticism and technique.

Shelton particularly stood out against the Buffalo Bills during the second week of preseason.

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This play comes from the second quarter of that game. Although it's the second quarter, the Bills still have their starters in the game. Shelton lines up in a four-man front, but he is shaded over the center's right shoulder.

Lining up here makes it easier for the offensive line to double-team him, but he isn't responsible for two gaps.

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Shelton is ultimately isolated in space against right guard John Miller, a fellow rookie. Miller has to work across the nose tackle's face, so Shelton had an advantage in his alignment. Despite that advantage, the movement of the center initially causes Shelton to hesitate.

This moment of hesitation levels the playing field for Miller.

Miller eventually gets into a good position. Shelton then drives into his body and gets his hands into the chest of the guard. From here, Shelton can extend his hands into Miller to create a pocket of space between the two, shedding his block.

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Having discarded Miller's attempted block, Shelton is in position to close on the running back behind the line of scrimmage. Shelton's strength and hand usage against Miller allowed him to register a tackle for a loss on this play.

A large percentage of offenses in the NFL now rely on zone blocking up front, so it's important for any defensive lineman to be able to work laterally like this.

Getting off blocks wasn't an issue for Shelton throughout this game. His athleticism stood out against the less talented Bills interior linemen, but he missed opportunities to make tackles on multiple occasions.

Finishing plays is important, but the more telling aspect of his play was his ability to get the better of his opponents through contact.

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On this play, Shelton appears to be two-gapping in a four-man front. He is lined up across from the center with both defensive ends pushed wide over the offensive tackles. Although he is in position to be double-teamed, Shelton is ultimately left alone with center Eric Wood.

Wood is a talented player, if a little inconsistent, so beating him is more impressive than beating any other interior offensive lineman on the Bills roster.

Credit: NFL.com

Shelton is able to drive Wood backward while angling his way toward the running back, working off the right side of the offensive line. He could have been quicker to separate from Wood after driving him so far into the backfield, but expecting him to make every play in this situation is irrational either way.

These are the types of plays that will excite Pettine and the Browns. That kind of concentration of power and body control to manipulate blockers and force his way to spots on the field isn't something that can be taught.

Coaches can refine his hand usage and improve his footwork, but this level of athleticism is what made Shelton a high first-round pick.

Pettine may be coaching for his job this season. He has endured a rough stretch since becoming the Browns head coach, but that won't exclude him from being made the fall guy if the Browns have a disappointing season.

Avoiding a four- or five-win season will be crucial for his job security, and considering the quarterback situation, the Browns will need their defense to be outstanding to manage that.

In Starks, Desmond Bryant, Phil Taylor, Karlos Dansby, Donte Whitner and Tashaun Gipson, the Browns have a very talented spine to their defense. The absence of a quality nose tackle is what made them so ineffective against the run last year.

Shelton's combination of style, talent and supporting cast can make him a key piece of the Browns roster this season.