We're less than two weeks out from the Browns' first training camp under head coach Hue Jackson.
As such, we'll dive deep into each position group and analyze what we'll be looking for when practice resumes July 29.
We looked at the offensive line on Friday. Now let's turn our attention to the defensive line.
THE OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS
The cast
Paul Kruger
Barkevious Mingo
Nate Orchard
Armonty Bryant
Jackson Jeffcoat
Cam Johnson
Emmanuel Ogbah
Joe Schobert
What happened at OTAs? Veteran Paul Kruger, among others, seemed to be particularly reinvigorated by the return of defensive coordinator Ray Horton. Against that backdrop, he and others like Barkevious Mingo and second-year linebacker Nate Orchard (who comes across as a veteran) set something of a standard for the rest of the outside backers to follow. They say the defense is a bit simpler this season and, because of that, they'll be able to play faster and more freely.
Under the radar: As mentioned above, keep an eye on Orchard, who seems to be flying under some radars as training camp approaches. The second-year player from Utah started 11 games last season and really seemed to come into his own midyear, including a five-tackle outing in a win against Baltimore.
Variables to consider: Where does Emmanuel Ogbah fit in? The 32nd overall pick comes to the Browns with the hope that he can bolster a pass rush that struggled last season. While Ogbah played defensive end at Oklahoma State, his unusual combination of size and speed makes him an outside backer in Cleveland's defense. Of course, he's facing considerable competition with Kruger, Mingo, Orchard and fellow rookie Schobert when it comes to what kind of playing time he'll see and, perhaps more importantly, when he sees it. It's also worth watching where Horton and Co. put Schobert, who could play either inside or outside backer.
Quote to note: "What stands out to me the most is just every player is making his own strides and his own way and coach Jackson is just constantly reinforcing we are the group, we are the team and this is our year. And sometimes you can kind of kick against the bricks if you get in the wrong mentality, whereas this year I feel like it's exactly the opposite. We understand how good we can be and you're putting pressure on yourself to be the best so that's very refreshing." — Paul Kruger on the direction of the Browns under Hue Jackson How many were kept last year? Three the 53-man roster
