6. Joe Schobert, MLB – Cleveland Browns
Schobert was the 32nd-best linebacker in 2017, according to Pro Football Focus, which classifies him as an average player at his position.
Joe “The Show” Schobert is one of the anchors of Cleveland’s improving defense. He didn’t play much as a rookie, but owned his linebacker position in his second year in the pros. Schobert started all 16 games for the Browns last season tallying 85 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles.
He has a knack for filling up the stat sheet, just as he did at Wisconsin, and simply plays hard football. Schobert isn’t the best athlete, but he has a high football IQ and can be trusted to get the job done.
At Wisconsin
Schobert went above and beyond just ‘getting the job done’ at Wisconsin. In his final year in Madison he racked up 9.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss, which was tops in the Big Ten in 2015. He was the unquestioned leader on defense for Paul Chryst’s first year and a model player for future Badgers.
The middle of Cleveland’s defense is likely to belong to Schobert again. The Browns’ run defense was ranked 7th in the NFL, which Schobert helped contribute to. After another year of development for Myles Garrett and the addition of Denzel Ward, the defense could improve even more and decrease the workload on Schobert.