RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The Cleveland Browns defense will be tasked with keeping the team in games this season. The offense is likely going to struggle in 2026, and if this unit can keep the points low, there's a chance they can steal a few wins along the way. This team has quite a few quality players on the defensive side of the ball, and PFF noted one safety in its rankings ahead of the 2026 season.
Zoltan Buday of PFF went through and ranked the top 32 starting safeties in the NFL, and named Ronnie Hickman Jr. 24th in the NFL, just ahead of Jalen Thompson (Arizona) and just behind Julian Blackmon, who is still a free agent:
Durability has been a concern for Hickman, who has played only 785 snaps over the first two seasons of his career. However, when he is on the field, his ability warrants his inclusion on this list.
Hickman's 77.2 PFF overall grade in 2024 ranked 13th among safeties, similar to his 81.7 PFF run-defense grade.
The grade might be a tick low for Hickman, but it may be largely due to valid durability concerns. But you can't argue he was a difference-maker while he is on the field. If Hickman stays healthy in 2026, there's a good chance we'll see him finish the year higher than 24th.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: One Browns safety ranked by PFF ahead of the 2026 season
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