As we all know, Cleveland’s been able to find quality players at safety in both the later rounds and at the UDFA level over the past few years. Ronnie Hickman was the most recent example, and though the team still wants him back for 2026, Hickman still hasn’t technically signed his tender. He can still sign with another team, but the Browns have the right to match the other team’s offer if they’d like.
If Cleveland chooses not to, then Hickman is as good as gone.
Advertisement
Getting back to the late-round safety/UDFA tradition, Arizona’s Genesis Smith could be the team’s next day three stud in the secondary if they choose to hold off on selecting a safety until then. He has the perfect skillset for a centerfield, deep-third type of player who can cover a lot of ground when breaking on intermediate balls.
He has excellent size and length at 6’2”, 202 lbs., and he has shown the ability to make plays all over the field from multiple alignments. He’s lined up at nickel, on the boundary, and to the field for the Wildcats throughout his career, but he’s most likely going to be a free safety at the NFL level due to his below-average twitch and short-area quickness.
Smith is built for open space and has the classic “see-ball-get-ball” type of playstyle that NFL teams love to have in their safety room.
Advertisement
As of right now, the only safeties on the Browns’ roster are Grant Delpit, Christopher Edmonds, Donovan McMillon, and newly signed Daniel Thomas. Three out of those four players are special teams players, though McMillon did show flashes of legitimacy as an undrafted rookie in 2025.
Adding Smith to the room would raise the floor of this group, especially in obvious passing-down situations on the back end. If Smith is still on the board in round six, don’t be surprised if Cleveland takes a flier on him next month.
