Getty Browns wide receiver Odell Beckham.
The Cleveland Browns selected LSU safety Grant Delpit in the second round of the NFL Draft, uniting the All-American with some former Tigers — most notably wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry.
Both Beckham and Landry welcomed Delpit to Cleveland, which LSU dubbed “LSU North” in their tweet celebrating their former safety being selected.
“OKKKK la brudda more of us in the locker room we neeed dat!!!! LSU,” Beckham wrote.
OKKKK la brudda more of us in the locker room we neeed dat!!!! LSU @realgrantdelpit
Landry responded to the pick, saying: “Oooo Yeaaa!!!!! Bayou Bengal Letssss Geaux.”
Grant Delpit Excited to Reunite With CB Greedy Williams
GettyBrowns corner Greedy Williams.
Corner Greedy Williams is another LSU player on the Browns roster and will accompany Delpit in the secondary. Williams was a second round pick of the Browns last year. Williams dubbed Delpit “Baby Jamal,” a reference to former LSU safety Jamal Adams.
“I miss my dude, it’s gonna be great to play with him again,” Delpit told reporters on reuniting with Williams.
“I miss my dude, it’s gonna be great to play with him again” – Grant Delpit on getting to reunite with former LSU teammate Greedy Williams with #Browns
Delpit recorded 59 tackles, two interceptions, one sack and seven passes broken up last season at LSU. Delpit notched 60-plus tackles in three consecutive years with LSU, collecting eight interceptions and seven tacks over his Tigers career. He also defended 24 passes. Delpit is a two-time All-American and won the Jim Thorpe Award in 2019.
Delpit also threw some shade at his former quarterback Joe Burrow, who was taken by the Browns division rival Cincinnati Bengals with the No. 1 overall pick.
“I’m very excited to pick Joe off twice a year,” Delpit said.
Browns View Grant Delpit as Versatile Playmaker
The opinions ranged on Delpit, who had a better junior season than his senior campaign. Some had him sliding to the late second round or early third, but Mike Renner Pro Football Focus had Delpit as the top safety and a top-15 prospect.
“Any time you see a player that comes in and starts as a true freshman on a team like LSU – as Delpit did in 2017 – you know you’re talking about a talented football player,” Renner wrote of Delpit. “He earned a modest grade of 70.7 in that freshman season, but he showcased his ability to locate and make plays on the football with seven combined interceptions and pass breakups. Delpit’s sophomore season in 2018 was the best of his three-year career at LSU. He earned an overall grade of 84.5, excelling as a situational pass rusher (13 pressures in 39 pass-rushing snaps) and in coverage (five interceptions and seven pass breakups).
“The biggest weakness discussed in his game will always be the missed tackles. Delpit has missed 36 over the past two seasons, fourth most among all FBS safeties.”
Browns general manager Andrew Berry took a risk trading back three spots from 41 to 44, but Delpit was still there and the Browns are excited to have him.
“We viewed him as a big, versatile playmaker,” Berry said on a conference call following the pick. “We like his coverage ability. He can cover tight ends, he can play the post, the big nickel, and both safety positions.”
Browns GM Andrew Berry has been targeting versatile safeties, both in free agency and the draft. Team really coveted Grant Delpit’s versatility. Said Berry: “Can play the post, can play near the line of scrimmage, can cover tight ends, can walk over a slot. … and hold his own.”
The Browns added a pair of safeties in free agency in former first-round pick Karl Joseph and veteran Andrew Sendejo. Rookie Shedrick Redwine also picked up some starting experience last season when the secondary was ravaged by injury.
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Odell Beckham Reacts to Browns Second-Round Pick