Cleveland Browns: Ahtyba Rubin Quietly Having a Terrific 2010 Season on D-Line

The Cleveland Browns have many holes to fill on their roster after the 2010 NFL regular season ends, but one area that is not needed is the centerpiece of their defensive line with third-year player Ahtyba Rubin.

Rubin has quietly had one of the best seasons of all NFL interior lineman, and it is time to shed some light on the big man.

At 6-foot-2 and 330 pounds, Rubin is the prototypical size and weight for a nose tackle in a 3-4 defensive scheme and was the Browns' sixth round pick in the 2008 NFL Draft out of Iowa State.

In 2009, former starting nose tackle Shaun Rogers went down for the season with an injury, and Rubin took over and has not looked back since.

Normally, a nose tackle is not supposed to get many tackles or sacks because it is his job to take on multiple offensive lineman, which should free up a fellow defender to either sack the quarterback or tackle the ball carrier.

Rubin has shown the skills to not only take on two blockers, but make plays too.

This is the true sign of a star defensive lineman.

Rubin is currently second in the NFL in tackles with 64 among defensive linemen, whether they are on the end, inside or at the nose.

As a comparison, in 2008, when Rogers manned the middle, he finished the season with 76 total tackles. Rubin is on track to finish 2010 with 78.

Rogers made the Pro Bowl in 2008, and Rubin is on the ballot this year. You can click here to vote for him.

Not only is Rubin among the leaders in tackles among defensive linemen, but he also has two sacks, two passed defended and one interception.

With multiple needs, the Browns' front office can sleep well at night knowing that they do not need to find a big man in the middle to man their defense. They still need to find some youth on both sides of Rubin, since both Robaire Smith (who is on the IR) and Kenyon Coleman are not getting any younger.

(Also posted on Dawg Scooper: A Cleveland Browns Source)