David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns are building themselves quite the defense. At this point in time, defense is the team’s identity, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. Cleveland made a big point to draft more young talent for its defense in the 2013 draft, as all but one of their selections was for the unit. Cornerback Leon McFadden was the team’s third round selection, and he’s a guy that figures to see lots of action right away.
McFadden is a bit undersized at 5’10″, 193 lbs, and he only runs a 4.5/40, but all signs indicate that he’s just a guy who makes plays. Because of his size and other draft metrics, though, he fell to the Browns in the third round.
The hope in Cleveland is that McFadden will play opposite of No. 1 corner Joe Haden, and many think it could be as soon as this year. If he does end up in the No. 2 spot, it could be an eventful year right from the start. In theory, teams are going to take more shots on McFadden’s side of the field, and these shots should provide him opportunities to show his ball skills.
If the rookie corner is all about the intangibles, he should have plenty of chances to show it by simply going up and making plays. While starting as a rookie corner is a bit like being thrown to the wolves, there’s really no quicker way to learn, or for a team to truly see what they have with a particular player. Browns’ fans are hoping McFadden will prove to be a third round steal, and even if he doesn’t start week one, they’ll be seeing plenty of him in 2013.
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