Grant Delpit Bio
Grant Jacobs Delpit (born September 20, 1998) is an American professional football safety for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL). Standing 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing around 208 pounds, he plays the strong safety position and wears jersey number 9. Drafted in 2020, he has become a long-term starter and a key playmaker in the Browns’ secondary.
Before turning professional, Delpit starred at LSU, where he won the 2019 College Football Playoff national championship and earned the Jim Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. He is a two-time First-team All-SEC selection and was named a unanimous All-American in 2018 and a consensus All-American in 2019.
Early Life and Background
Grant Jacobs Delpit was born on September 20, 1998, in New Orleans, Louisiana. His family was displaced by Hurricane Katrina, an event that reshaped his early years. After the storm, the family eventually resettled in Houston, Texas, where Delpit first developed as a football player.
He attended St. Thomas High School in Houston for two years before transferring to Lamar High School as a junior. For his senior season, he moved to IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, finishing his prep career with 47 tackles and five interceptions. There, he played alongside future college star Dylan Moses and committed to Louisiana State University.
Path to Professional Football
Delpit arrived at LSU in 2017 and played in all 13 games as a true freshman, earning 10 starts and posting 60 tackles with one interception. The performance signaled his future as a defensive leader. He returned as a full-time starter in 2018 and was named a unanimous All-American, the Jack Tatum Trophy winner, and a First-team All-SEC defender.
As a junior in 2019, he anchored the LSU secondary that won the College Football Playoff national championship. He collected the Jim Thorpe Award as the top college defensive back and was again a First-team All-SEC selection. After the championship run, Delpit declared for the 2020 NFL Draft, where the Cleveland Browns selected him in the second round with the 44th overall pick.
Grant Delpit Career
Early Career (2020)
The Cleveland Browns signed Delpit to a four-year rookie contract worth $7.46 million, including $3.93 million in guarantees. He competed for a starting safety role during training camp and impressed coaches with his coverage skills and toughness. The team viewed him as a versatile defender capable of playing deep, in the box, and over the slot.
His rookie season was cut short on August 24, 2020, when he tore his Achilles tendon during practice. He was placed on injured reserve, missed the entire 2020 NFL season, and underwent surgery. Despite the setback, his long-term role in the Browns’ defense remained intact.
2021 Season
Delpit made his regular-season debut on September 19, 2021, against the Houston Texans, recording six tackles, his first career sack, and a forced fumble. He later earned his first career interception against the Baltimore Ravens, picking off a Lamar Jackson pass intended for Mark Andrews. His strong play earned him the starting strong safety job for the final stretch of the year.
He finished the 2021 NFL season with 66 combined tackles, three pass deflections, one sack, one forced fumble, and one interception across 15 games and seven starts. Pro Football Focus graded him with a coverage score of 83.1, signaling a successful return from injury.
2022 Season
Delpit entered 2022 as the full-time starting strong safety, paired with free safety John Johnson. He opened the year with an interception of Baker Mayfield in a Week 1 win over the Carolina Panthers. He set a season high with 10 tackles in a Week 10 loss at Miami.
On January 1, 2023, he recorded two interceptions off Carson Wentz in a win over the Washington Commanders. He closed the year with 105 combined tackles, 10 pass deflections, and four interceptions while starting all 17 games, establishing himself as a long-term building block for the Browns’ defense.
2023 Season
Under new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, Delpit retained his starting role alongside free safety Juan Thornhill. He posted a season-high 10 tackles in a Week 9 shutout of the Arizona Cardinals. On December 10, 2023, the Browns rewarded his consistency with a three-year, $36 million contract extension that included $23.6 million guaranteed.
The same day he signed his new deal, he recorded a sack against the Jacksonville Jaguars before exiting with a groin injury. The injury ended his season and led to a stint on injured reserve. He finished 2023 with 80 combined tackles, four pass deflections, one interception, and a fumble recovery in 13 games. He was later named an alternate for the 2024 Pro Bowl.
Cleveland Browns Era (2024-Present)
Delpit returned as the starting strong safety in 2024, switching his jersey number from 22 to 9, the number he wore early in his LSU career. He started 16 games and produced 111 combined tackles, one pass deflection, and one sack, anchoring a Browns defense that leaned heavily on its secondary.
In 2025, Delpit earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after recording two special teams tackles and a forced fumble in a Week 7 win over the Miami Dolphins. He continues to serve as a veteran leader and tone-setter for the Cleveland defense.
Driving Style and Strengths
Delpit is a versatile safety who excels in coverage against tight ends and slot receivers, plays reliably in the post, and tackles firmly in the box. His football intelligence and pre-snap recognition allow the Browns to deploy him in multiple roles, while his toughness and durability have become defining traits. He pairs strong instincts with consistent open-field tackling.
Notable Events and Milestones
His most memorable early milestone came on September 19, 2021, when he recorded his first career sack and forced fumble against the Houston Texans. He later added his first career interception against the Baltimore Ravens, and capped a strong 2022 season with two interceptions off Carson Wentz. His selection as a 2024 Pro Bowl alternate further cemented his standing as one of the league’s top safeties.
Grant Delpit Career Wins
Through his NFL career, Grant Delpit has built a reputation as a playmaking safety with steady production in tackles, interceptions, and pass breakups. His career statistics include 451 total tackles, 7 interceptions, 21 pass deflections, 6.5 sacks, 3 forced fumbles, and 4 fumble recoveries. The figures reflect his impact as a starting defender for the Cleveland Browns since 2020.
Cleveland Browns Highlights
Since taking over as a starter in 2021, Delpit has produced multiple seasons with more than 100 tackles, including 105 in 2022 and 111 in 2024. His four-interception season in 2022 stood as his most productive pass-coverage year, and he added another AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honor in 2025. These performances have made him a long-term pillar of the Browns’ secondary.
Other Wins and Performances
At LSU, Delpit won the College Football Playoff national championship in 2019 and earned the Jim Thorpe Award that same year. He was a two-time First-team All-SEC selection and a unanimous All-American in 2018. Together, these accomplishments highlight one of the most decorated defensive back careers in recent LSU history.
Grant Delpit Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Grant Delpit was raised in a close family that relocated from New Orleans to Houston after Hurricane Katrina. His upbringing in two football-rich regions shaped his competitive foundation. While his family members are not widely known in professional sports, his parents have remained a steady support system throughout his career.
Personal Life
Grant Delpit focuses much of his public profile on football and community involvement. He has been linked to Cleveland and the Browns organization since 2020 and continues to build his life around his professional career. He is not publicly known to be married.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into the 2025 NFL season, Grant Delpit remains a starter for the Cleveland Browns under head coach Kevin Stefanski and defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. The defense continues to lean on his experience in coverage and run support, and the early portion of the season has shown flashes of his playmaking ability. His Week 7 AFC Special Teams Player of the Week award highlighted his continued value beyond the secondary.
With the Browns competing in a competitive AFC North, Delpit’s leadership and durability will be vital to their postseason push. His combination of veteran poise, tackling reliability, and coverage instincts positions him as a core piece of the defense. As the season progresses, the Browns will look to Delpit to provide consistent impact plays on a weekly basis.
