Why This AFC North Team Should Target Iowa's Sebastian Castro

Here's why Iowa Hawkeyes star safety Sebastian Castro would be a perfect fit for this AFC North team in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Dylan Feltovich | Feb 25, 2025

Jan 29, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team defensive back Sebastian Castro of Iowa (29) does a defensive drill during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images

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Iowa Hawkeyes

With the 2025 NFL Draft right around the corner, the Iowa Hawkeyes will be well-represented come April. One of the player will be Hawkeyes' star safety Sebastian Castro, who would easily be a perfect fit for the Cleveland Browns in day two of the draft.

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported on Monday that the Browns released safety Juan Thornhill after spending two seasons with the organization.

The #Browns are releasing veteran S Juan Thornhill, sources say. The team and Thornhill’s camp spoke in recent days and the decision was made to part ways now, giving Thornhill a few weeks before free agency to find his next home.

Thornhill had one year at $7m left on his deal. pic.twitter.com/CcNQpn5jc2
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) February 24, 2025

With Thornhill set to become a free agent, Cleveland's projected starting free safety is Ronnie Hickman, who was UDFA acquisition for the Browns back in 2023. This could easily open up the door for a versatile player like Castro to become an impact player in the secondary unit.

Throughout his time with the Hawkeyes, Castro played all over the field, but he spent most of the defensive snaps in the slot or deep. Current Browns' strong saftey, Grant Delpit, played roughly 23 percent of his snaps from the slot, while cornerback Greg Newsome II saw a good amount of snaps from the slot as well.

The potential addition of Castro could allow for Delpit to spend more time in the box, while Castro also can rotate with Hickman as the deep safety. The veteran defender displayed his ability to be a force in both the run and pass game over the course of his collegiate career, which boosts his stock heading into the 2025 NFL Draft.

Big-time play by Sebastian Castro to get the stop on 4th down for the National Team! 💪 @HawkeyeFootball

📺: @SeniorBowl on NFL Network
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/850UuzXp3Y
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) February 1, 2025

Castro made it on the NFL Draft radar after an impressive 2023 season after posting a PFF defensive grade of 91.2. Despite not being as productive in 2024, he was still a key member of Iowa's terrific defense. In his senior season, Castro finished with 47 tackles and a PFF run defense grade of 76.2 in 12 games.

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