The Cleveland Browns made significant upgrades to their roster, but did they leave any weak links behind?
It is no secret that the Browns went out of their way to improve weak points that were detrimental to their success a year ago this offseason. They have added big named free agents like defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson while trading for former second round pick Elijah Moore and Pro Bowl pass rusher Za’Darius Smith.
They truly have no excuses this season as they look to get back to the playoffs for the first time in three years.
With an improved roster, however, were there any position groups left behind? Here we rank each position group on the roster from strongest to weakest.
1. Offensive line
I mean, is this one even a question?
The Browns have two All-Pros along their offensive line (while Jack Conklin is two years removed from that honor), a center who broke out for them a year ago, another Pro Bowl guard in Wyatt Teller, and a streaky but inconsistent first rounder at left tackle in Jedrick Wills.
The unit, however, has struggled to maintain health to all find the field together. Their depth has stepped up and spot-started without noticeable dropoff when needed though, as James Hudson, Michael Dunn, and Nick Harris have all also cracked the starting lineup in Cleveland.
Adding two young reserve talents in tackle Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler certainly help the strength of the room as well.
2. Defensive Ends
There is an argument that the pass rushing unit of the Browns is the best on their roster. The depth of the offensive line pushes them over the top, however.
Adding Za’Darius Smith to bookend with Myles Garrett gives the Browns perhaps the best pass rush duo in the NFL. Throwing in Ogbo Okoronkwo as a rotational player and potential designated pass rusher on passing downs gives the Browns pressures from three points upfront occupied just by defensive ends.
This group is loaded after overhauling the unit this offseason. They then likely roster 2022 third rounder Alex Wright and 2023 fourth rounder Isaiah McGuire as their rotational depth pieces as well. Do not sleep on Wright to step up in a big way under Schwartz as well in 2023 as he is the only one with the body type and experience to kick inside to 4i and 3-tech looks.
All five players will see significant snaps this season, and with an improved group of defensive tackles should see significantly fewer double teams as well.
3. Cornerbacks
This unit, while they underperformed in 2022, is extremely gifted and among the best in the NFL. And with both Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome vocally stepping up to kick inside to match under Schwartz (rather than just Newsome full-time), they have worked out how to easily get Martin Emerson Jr. onto the field as well.
With speed, twitch, and a variety of body types to match an array of wide receivers, the Browns are getting back to basics in their secondary to cut down on communication errors as well. Schwartz is going to let these guys line up and play, and as a result, the Browns may just get this elite unit back to where they were in 2021 when both Ward and Newsome put together stellar seasons.
A.J. Green has proven to be a capable spot-starter and to step in defensively when needed as well, and the Browns went out and drafted a player with a great deal of inside experience and promising tackling numbers in Cameron Mitchell as well. They have both high-end starters and great depth at the cornerback position.
There are no excuses possible for the cornerbacks in 2023.
4. Quarterbacks
This one requires the use of historical context, speculation based on the evolving offense, and the talent of the man under center in Cleveland. While the six-game sample size of Deshaun Watson did not blow anybody away in 2022, the Browns have been shifting toward an explosive mindset this offseason that involves catering the offense around the skillset of their $230 million quarterback.
With a full offseason, a full season, and no need to shift the offensive focus after 11 games this year, there are also no excuses for Watson and Stefanski. If Watson returned to the form of the 5,000-yard passer he has been in the past, then this ranking is justified.
Behind Watson as well, the Browns brought back their backup quarterback for the first 11 games of the season a year ago in Joshua Dobbs. By bringing him back and guaranteeing his full salary, the Browns will ease rookie Dorian Thompson-Robinson into the NFL, likely letting him take over the role in 2024.
Dobbs started games for the Tennessee Titans a year ago and even led them to a crucial victory down the stretch. If Watson goes down with an injury the quarterback play will not be high-level stuff, but the offense should be able to function near where they did with Brissett a year ago.
5. Wide Receivers
The wide receiver unit ranked near the bottom of the roster in 2022. Outside of players by the name of Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, the Browns got no contributions from their wide receivers a year ago.
And as they continue to shift toward an aerial assault in 2023, they went out and grabbed an all-around player in Elijah Moore, a vertical threat in Marquise Goodwin, and an above-the-rim X in Cedric Tillman to compliment their current room. David Bell, off of an efficient rookie season where he caught 24 of his 25 targets (seven of which led to first downs) will also find a role on the field.
Anthony Schwartz is a long shot to make the roster, but the Browns are now six deep at the wide receiver position this season. With a variety of skill sets and body types, two top-tier route runners in Cooper and Moore, and a proven vertical threat, the Browns have checked off all of the necessary roles in the room.
6. Tight ends
David Njoku was in the midst of a breakout campaign and on pace for 1,000 yards receiving a year ago before suffering two separate lower body injuries. However, his unbelievable development as a blocker, his top-end athletic ability, and his significant decrease in drops since 2019 firmly put him near the top of tight end rankings.
And he should see even more opportunities in 2023.
The Browns then went out and added Jordan Akins, a favorite of Watson, which allows them to return Harrison Bryant to a role he is best suited for. This gives the Browns an impressive stock of tight ends, especially as receiving mismatch threats with Njoku and Akins.
This is a strong unit that should solidify itself around the league in 2023.
7. Running backs
I’m sure this ranking will lead to the most uproar and question marks of them all. How can a unit headlined by perhaps the best back in the NFL be ranked so low? Because the depth behind him is an absolute mystery.
The Browns like Jerome Ford and are poised to trust him to take over for Kareem Hunt this season, a role that saw 158 touches in 2022, but we have next to no sample size of Ford outside of kick return duties at the NFL level. It could work out great for the Browns given the burst and explosiveness Ford possesses. But there is nothing certain behind Chubb,
Even behind Ford, the Browns are currently rolling with hybrid player Demetric Felton and undrafted rookie Hassan Hall. There is a real chance the third running back on the final 53-man roster is not currently on the roster in Cleveland.
So yes, Chubb is elite. But there is no shot the Browns give him another 300 carries again in 2023. So the success of the excess touches, presumably going to Ford, are a complete toss-up right now.
8. Safeties
The safety room is the biggest wild card on the roster for the Browns this season. If Grant Delpit can play like the ball hawk and heat-seeking missile that he did near the end of last season, then he could see a payday as a result. As the Browns add a true free safety in Juan Thornhill as well, Delpit will get the opportunity to creep up closer to the line of scrimmage, an area where he has shown comfort throughout his career.
Adding a certified veteran and floor raiser in Rodney McLeod gives Delpit and Thornhill a mentor as they grow together under a new defensive coordinator. McLeod will also see the field in DIME sets, replacing Ronnie Harrison, and gives Schwartz and the Browns a solid base starter in case of injury or a rough transition from the penciled-in starters.
The fourth safety spot is still up for grabs as well, likely coming down to the incumbent D’Anthony Bell, who earned respect as a special teamer, and undrafted free agent Ronnie Hickman. The Browns could also add another body to the room to compete, but this is where the room currently stands today.
9. Defensive tackles
Both of these statements are true: the Browns made significant upgrades to their defensive tackle room and the Browns are an injury to Dalvin Tomlinson away from being in a dark place up front defensively.
The Browns added four defensive tackles to their roster, and likely roster five total in 2023 as Schwartz has stated he wants to rotate 10 guys up front to keep bodies fresh. Currently, the Browns only have three locks in the room, presumably leaving two spots up for grabs. Behind Tomlinson, Jordan Elliott has likely locked himself into the roster after reworking the final year of his deal with the Browns, and third round rookie Siaki Ika is also locked in.
This likely leaves Perrion Winfrey and free agent adds Maurice Hurst and Trysten Hill in a battle over two remaining spots. On paper, the depth now looks fine in the defensive tackle room, but an injury to Tomlinson would force a significant number of snaps onto a player who is not built to carry that steep of a workload.
10. Linebackers
Choosing to run the room back, re-signing both Anthony Walker Jr. and Sione Takitaki in free agency, the Browns are banking on an improved defensive line to help keep this unit clean and raise the floor of the linebackers. And it is a solid plan.
The sky continues to be the limit for WILL linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, and he should find success under Jim Schwartz in 2023 with a potential payday looming. Tony Fields II also found success when he was thrust into the starting lineup a year ago, and one can assume he will start at SAM as Takitaki still recovers from a late-season ACL tear in 2022.
Behind them, however, it gets extremely dicey for the Browns as it consists of a couple of special teamers in Jordan Kunaszyk and Matthew Adams and an undrafted free agent in Mohamoud Diabate.
For a unit that has struggled to stay healthy, we could be in for another year of shuffling in whichever body is available on a given week at the second level of the defense.
