The Cleveland Browns are hoping for a new beginning for their secondary, and defense as a whole, in 2021. After struggling mightily last season, the Browns invested a lot in that side of the ball in both free agency and the NFL draft.
The return of Grant Delpit was expected to be a big piece of the puzzle. A second-round pick in 2020, the LSU Tiger was expected to play a versatile role in Joe Woods’ defense. Big and fast, Delpit presented in the mold of the modern-day safety in the NFL.
Instead, a torn Achilles robbed him of his rookie season. A problematic injury in professional sports, returns from those kinds of tears are rarely smooth. Instead, many players have failed to find their explosiveness following the injury.
For Cleveland, Delpit’s age and general health are seen as positive factors toward his recovery. Cleared at the start of training camp to practice, the medical staff have kept him out of many drills and team-related activities out of caution.
After the Orange and Brown scrimmage, head coach Kevin Stefanski noted that the second-year safety is dealing with a hamstring issue now:
#Browns HC Kevin Stefanski said CB Denzel Ward had normal rest day today and S Grant Delpit is dealing with hamstring injury.
— Nate Ulrich (@ByNateUlrich) August 8, 2021
Stefanski is not required to notify the media of which leg the hamstring issue is on nor the severity during training camp. While that information is not known, it is a concerning development nonetheless.
Leg injuries tend to create compensation-related issues for players. With a weakened ankle area, Delpit could have caused strain in his hamstring or other parts of his legs trying to make up for that weakness. Even if compensation issues didn’t cause the hamstring problem, his lack of participation in practice will continue to need to be monitored.
For Woods to be able to run his three safety looks on the field, Delpit is needed to fill the triumvirate. Continued missed practice, especially due to another leg injury, creates concern for his return to the field to become a solid contributor by Week 1.