Shelton learning, making strides
Rookie nose tackle getting more disruptive as season progresses.
Instead of hitting CLEVELAND— the rookie wall, nose tackle Danny Shelton has found a way to break through as another lost Browns season mercifully winds down.
“I’ve improved over the year,” Shelton said. “It still doesn’t take away the season that we’ve had as a group, but at the same time, I can look forward to next season, look forward to coming out and playing more like a Pro Bowler.”
Shelton struggled to find footing early in his first NFL season. Allowing criticism from outsiders to bother him and technical flaws such as high pad level contributed to a slower start than the 12th overall draft pick would have liked.
But sinceWeek 9, Shelton has earned ProFootballFocus. com’s second-best run defense grade among rookie interior linemen. Despite the defense’s ongoing issues, he received another positive review from the analytics website for his performance Sunday in a 30-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. He posted a career-high seven tackles, including one for loss.
“Sometimes you see rookies that play well early, then it starts to drop off, the prover-
bial rookie wall,” Browns coach Mike Pettine said. “That’s not the case with Danny. He’s doing a good job, and he’s getting better. He’s learning. There’s no substitute for live game reps. He’s played a good amount of snaps, and he’s getting to experience [facing] veteran offensive linemen and learn the tricks of the trade. I think he’s been able to start to apply them on the field, and he’s got a much better understanding of what we’re trying to do and then even more so what the other team’s trying to do.”
Although the Seahawks rushed for 182 yards on 36 carries (5.1 average) and the Browns dropped from 29th to 31st in rushing defense (134.9 yards allowed per game), the coaching staff was pleased with Shelton. He received the title belt defensive coordinator Jim O’Neil assigns each week to the player who made the most hustle plays.
The 6-foot-2, 339-pound Shelton shared the belt with fellow defensive lineman John Hughes following a Week 9 loss to the Bengals. He won it outright for the first time against the Seahawks.
“You want guys that are like that,” Pettine said. “He didn’t walk in here thinking he had the NFL all figured out and knew that there was a learning curve he was going to be on. You want all your guys, as they log more game experience, that they have the ability to use it moving forward and tuck those coachable, those teaching moments away and be able to apply them and not be a repeat offender from a mistake standpoint.”
Shelton has started all 14 games this season and played 461 of 937 snaps (49.2 percent). He has 33 tackles, including four for loss, without a sack.
“As a nose tackle, you’re never going to jump off the stat sheet,” O’Neil said. “You’re going to be a guy that causes a lot more production for people than you getting production. He has been a guy for us as the season has gone on who has been able to get vertical penetration into the backfield, cut a play in half, eat up two blockers a lot at the point of attack for us.
“The more plays, he’ll earn to be out there as a pass rusher and a guy who can collapse the pocket for us. He’s done a really good job for us in the run game. I think that the pass stuff will come.”
Shelton’s teammates are encouraged to see him produce one of his better games inWeek 15. It’s a sign he’s poised to finish the season strong.
“You want to see guys growing, not declining,” veteran inside linebacker Karlos Dansby said. “He’s starting to grow. It just takes time. Sometimes it doesn’t happen overnight. It all depends on the system, the scheme, if the guy’s getting it, if they’re playing with the right technique, there’s a lot of things that have to be in place in order for guys to have success in any defense.
“[His future] can be as bright as he wants it to be, but it all falls on him. He’s making strides right now, but now he’s got to take it to another level. He’s just got to continue to do it year in and year out. You can’t take a step back.”