BEREA, Ohio -- There was a sequence on the final play of one of the Cleveland Browns' OTA practices last week that, if a harbinger of things to come, could mean new heights for a defense that was already one of the NFL's best in 2023.
Reserve quarterback Tyler Huntley took a shotgun snap from inside the red zone, and after leaving the pocket, threw a pass into the end zone. But rookie linebacker Nathaniel Watson undercut the pass for a diving interception, sending his defensive teammates into a frenzy and sprinting to the other end zone for a photo op.
The Browns' defense not only improved but flourished in its first season under coordinator Jim Schwartz. With an aggressive scheme that relied on high rates of man coverage and blitzing, Cleveland allowed the fewest yards in the league. The gap between the Browns and the second-best defense (Kansas City Chiefs) was larger than the gap between the Chiefs and the ninth-best defense (Buffalo Bills). Cleveland also yielded the lowest completion percentage and lowest Total QBR.
As the defense enters its second season under Schwartz, the Browns believe they're ready to build on the success of Year 1, and see plenty of room for improvement.
"Going into Year 2 now under Schwartz's defense, everybody can now get a little more comfortable," defensive end Za'Darius Smith said. "For myself, coming from a 3-4 system, I was always a guy who had to stand up, so just being down in the [three-point stance] now, not really looking at formations was something new for me. But now I'm starting to get the hang of it, man. And as you can see this year, you see a better 'Z.' I can tell you that much."
Though the Browns were one of the stingiest defenses in 2023, their performance dipped in the final weeks of the season, and there was a disparity in home and road splits.
Red zone defense was also a season-long issue. The Browns had the worst red-zone defense in the NFL, allowing 71% of red-zone drives to result in a touchdown. The Browns also ranked last in goal-to-go defense and were the only team to allow at least 90% of goal-to-go situations to result in a touchdown.
"If we can make guys settle for three points instead of getting seven, we save four points for the offense, and four points in this league ... that's a big difference," cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. said. "That's my goal for this defense. One of our goals for this defense."
The Browns' final game of the season also left much to correct. In Cleveland's 45-14 loss to the Houston Texans in the wild-card round, the Browns allowed season-worst marks in yards per play and defensive EPA per play.
"We studied that. We looked at it a lot and obviously, we're a high-risk defense," Schwartz said. "We're not a bend-and-don't-break team. We put a big emphasis on making plays and being aggressive. And my biggest takeaway from that was we chased plays in that game, instead of letting the plays come to us and making the plays that were there.
"We have an expression on defense, we call it, 'Don't farm land that's not yours.' And we made that mistake. We paid a very dear price for that and we can't do anything about it now, but hopefully we can learn from it and the next time we're in that situation we can play better as a result."
Schwartz doesn't think major overhauls are necessary but said the unit's familiarity with the scheme will allow him to add wrinkles in 2024.
"We don't want to get away from the fastball, but it does give us a chance to work on some changeups and some secondary pitches and add to our scheme," Schwartz said.
If the Browns' defense does improve in 2024, it will be driven by continuity. The Browns didn't look to make a litany of upgrades in the offseason and that includes the defense, where the biggest change is at linebacker. Anthony Walker Jr. and Sione Takitaki, who started a combined 17 games, departed in free agency. To replace them, Cleveland signed Jordan Hicks, reuniting the 10-year veteran with Schwartz. Hicks, who has recorded at least 100 tackles in five straight seasons, played three seasons under Schwartz when he was the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles.
"Number one, he's a playmaker. Number two, he is an outstanding communicator," Schwartz said of Hicks. "And we lost a lot of communication and leadership with losing Sione and losing (Walker). So, it's going to fall on Jordan to pick some of that up. And he's got a great track record of doing those kinds of things."
The Browns also used their first pick in the 2024 draft on defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr., selecting the Ohio State standout 54th overall. The team is bullish on his pass-rush upside, which could earn him playing time in a deep defensive line rotation.
But the core of a potentially dominant unit is back. The defense will lean on stalwarts such as end Myles Garrett, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, as well as cornerback Denzel Ward and linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, all of whom were Pro Bowlers in 2023.
This time last year was about learning the fundamentals of a new scheme. Now, it's about adding to those building blocks with their sights on even more.
And the Browns' retaining their defensive performance in 2024 could be even more pivotal given the gauntlet of elite quarterbacks on their schedule and the uncertainty of the offense, which is introducing a new scheme as multiple key players, including quarterback Deshaun Watson and running back Nick Chubb, work their way back from season-ending injuries.
"Right now last year means nothing," Schwartz said. "Everybody's right down to the bottom of the hill again, and you got to climb it again. ... We're in a little different spot just because we have some experience in the defense, but we can't think that anything, we can't act as if anything's going to carry over from last year. We have to stay hungry that way."