The Browns cemented an important piece in their secondary for the future.
On Monday, the Browns announced that they have signed S Grant Delpit to a 3-year contract extension. Delpit was in the final year of his contract and was set to become an unrestricted free agent in the offseason.
"I'm excited to further my career in Cleveland," Delpit said. "The city has shown me nothing but love since the day I was drafted. The Haslams, AB, all of my coaches and teammates, I can't say enough good things about everyone and the environment since I've been here. I look forward to continuing this winning culture and showing the city of Cleveland the love back that they give me. It's frustrating that the injury occurred yesterday, but I am doing everything in my power to get back as soon as possible to help the team win."
Delpit sustained a groin injury in Sunday's Week 14 game against the Jaguars. He left the game in the fourth quarter and did not return to the game. HC Kevin Stefanski said on Monday that they are still awaiting information on Delpit's injury.
Even so, Delpit has played an important role in the Browns secondary this season. He has 80 total tackles – including 63 solo tackles – one and a half sacks, a fumble recovery, an interception and three passes defended through 13 games. He is also in the conversation to be voted in to his first-ever Pro Bowl.
"When we began the season, our defensive staff set the goal of leading the NFL in three categories: Physical Toughness, Effort and—most importantly—Badassery," EVP Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry said. "Grant's competitive, high-energy, on-field personality is the perfect embodiment of these characteristics. To see Grant blossom into a disruptive, heat-seeking missile in the run game while maintaining the ability to match-up in man coverage has been particularly rewarding for our organization because of the adversity that defined his early career. We've seen his work ethic and mental toughness in full force as he battled back from an Achilles tear as a rookie, and he's done nothing but make up for lost time since. We are happy that Grant will be a member of our team for the foreseeable future."
Following the season opener against the Bengals, when Delpit finished with eight total tackles, DC Jim Schwartz highlighted Delpit's success in the game.
"I've been watching Grant since college, watched pretty much his whole career. I thought that was probably the best game I've ever seen him play, including college," Schwartz said on Sept. 15. "Grant's off to a great start and I'm excited for where he'll go this year if he keeps it up. […] I'm really proud to coach a guy like Grant."
He has continued to showcase that effort throughout the season. His most recent game against the Jaguars in Week 14, Delpit recorded six total tackles –five of which were solo – and one sack.
His in-season success stemmed from the work he put in throughout the offseason. Safeties coach Ephraim Banda said that Delpit's effort from when they began phase one has been present and "relentless."
"His ability to stay in the moment, locked in, go day to day, week to week," Banda said earlier this season. "And more importantly, he says it all the time – be here for his team, all the time. He is such a competitor, his toughness and his desire to be on the field for every play, like the young man, he won't let me take him out. […] I'm super, super proud of him."
Not only has he had great games where he was effective, but Banda said that he's also had games this season where he's stepped in to do "the dirty work." Delpit has played in man coverage and at the point of attack, and at times played closer to the line of scrimmage. They try to use his multifaceted skill set to their advantage in the secondary.
Banda saw that talent and the intangibles in Delpit's game when Delpit was in high school, and Banda tried to recruit him for college when he was a safeties coach at the University of Miami.
"What drew me to Grant at the time was that – just who he was and how he was raised and the person he was," Banda said. "Because safety play isn't just about talent. It's about awareness. It's about being selfless. It's about doing all the other things."
Delpit eventually chose LSU, where he played from 2017-19 before forgoing his senior season to declare for the NFL Draft. Delpit ended his three seasons at LSU starting 37 of his 40 played games with 199 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, two forced fumbles, 32 passes defensed and eight interceptions. He was also the 2019 Thorpe Award winner for the nation's top defensive back, becoming the third LSU player to win the award.
Delpit was originally drafted by the Browns in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft; however, he missed the 2020 season as he was on the injured reserve list after suffering an Achilles injury during training camp. He was voted the 2021 Ed Block Courage Award by his teammates following his return from injury during his rookie season.
Over the last three seasons, Delpit has played 45 games in his NFL career. He has 251 total tackles, with 178 solo tackles. He has 2.5 sacks, 16 passes defended, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and six interceptions.
Delpit also returned to Baton Rouge in August 2023 to graduate from LSU. He missed the Browns' second preseason game against the Commanders to attend graduation. That dedication to his education, as well as commitment to the Browns, stood out to Banda.
"He got his degree, and when he got his degree, he still got on a plane and showed up to that preseason game," Banda said. "So, I think it just says a lot about him, who he is, how he was raised. From his family, comes from a strong family background, which I loved back when I was recruiting him, and a big reason why I wanted the opportunity to coach him, which I'm getting to now."
With the contract extension, Delpit will continue to be an important piece of their defense, both from his leadership among the safeties, as well as with his success on the field.
"Grant's a huge part of what we do," Stefanski said. "What he brings to this team from a toughness, physicality standpoint, how he plays these games really fits who we are. So, very, very excited for him. Happy for him. Happy for us. It's always reflective of who we are when you deals with guys like Grant. He's the quintessential pro. He's young, and he's only going to get better."
