With the major offseason additions in the rearview mirror, what Cleveland Browns position group is the best on the team entering the 2018 season?
Following one the busiest offseason the Cleveland Browns have had in recent years, it appears that they have the roster they will take into training camp. Browns general manager John Dorsey has revamped most of the roster.
There are a lot of new faces on the roster. And there are former mainstays that are no longer on the roster. For Cleveland fans, they are going to see a lot of players that they are not used to seeing.
After a 1-31 record the last two seasons, the Browns needed a roster makeover. Even the worst position groups in this upcoming season are much better than what the Browns had in 2017.
So with all that said, here’s a look at the 2018 Cleveland Browns position groups, ranked worst to best.
8. Safeties
It should be stated that there is a lot of potential with this group, but also a lot of uncertainty. Damarious Randall was brought in via trade, and he will be playing as the free safety, playing center field and being the ball hawk. Although he has played cornerback the first three years of his career, safety is his natural position. He has a chance to excel as a ball hawk safety. But he needs to be able to prove that he is comfortable with the position change after playing solely cornerback.
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Jabrill Peppers had a miserable rookie season, and in large part, it was not his fault. As most Browns fans know, it seemed as if the Browns defense was playing with only ten players since Peppers was playing so far off the ball, he could not be seen on TV. Free safety was not in the right position to utilize his skill set.
It is expected that Peppers is going to be playing more in the box and the slot in 2018. He does a great job of blitzing, and Gregg Williams can be creative with how he plays Peppers. He can be disguised as a blitzer and drop into coverage, or it can be reversed the other way. Although he will be put in a better position to make plays, there is still questions about Peppers. Until he proves it on the field, there are low expectations for Peppers following his poor rookie season.
There is also not that great of depth behind the two starters. Derrick Kindred was the starting strong safety last season, but struggled in coverage. After that, the Browns have Justin Currie and Derron Smith as reserve safeties, but will not receive much, if any, playing time at safety.
7. Linebackers
With names like Jamie Collins, Christian Kirksey, and Joe Schobert, you’d expect them to be higher ranked. But one of the reasons the pass defense was so bad last season was because none of the linebackers could cover a tight end. There is a lot of talent with this group, but coverage was not their strong suit.
All three are solid run stuffers, but they all have their flaws.. Schobert was a tackling machine, which made him the only Pro Bowler on the 2017 Browns roster. Although he was very good at wrapping players up and filling gaps, he never looked comfortable in pass coverage, especially in goal-line situations.
Kirksey is athletic and is excellent at pursuing runners. But opposing quarterbacks would feast on him when he was in pass coverage. He never has been able to use his athleticism to turn and run with receivers and tight ends, often leaving them wide open for easy completions.
Collins is a do-it-all linebacker that can rush the passer, stop the run, and look competent when in coverage. But injuries have begun to pile up on him, which have slowed him down and made him less reliable.
The Browns also do not have much depth with this group. They drafted Genard Avery in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and there is a lot of potential. But after him, Joe Burgess and Tank Carder are the best depth pieces, but both are best suited as special teamers.
6. Cornerbacks
There are a lot of question marks surrounding this group because of all the new faces. But there has been proof that the players they’ve brought have talent and can excel in the NFL.
The Browns drafted Denzel Ward and he proved at The Ohio State University that he is very good in coverage. But there is room for concern because of his size, and NFL receivers may give him trouble.
E.J. Gaines had a career season in 2017, combining with Tre’Davious White as a strong duo in coverage in Buffalo. He has experience in Williams’ defense and will be comfortable playing for him again. But he has had issues staying healthy, and the Browns will be lucky if he can stay on the field for all 16 games.
T.J. Carrie is also coming in following a career season. He played well for the Raiders, but was primarily used as a slot corner. With the Browns, he is going to have to prove that he can play against the top receivers in the NFL on the outside.
Behind these three is Jamar Taylor and Briean Boddy-Calhoun. Taylor is expected to lose his starting job and is likely on the trade block following the addition of Ward. Boddy-Calhoun showed a dramatic drop-off last season, and went from a solid nickel corner to becoming a depth piece.
5. Running Backs
Another group that has been revamped this offseason, with the only roster holdover being Duke Johnson. But with the additions of Carlos Hyde and Nick Chubb, Johnson will not get the same amount of touches that he received in years prior.
Johnson was utilized mainly as a receiver out of the backfield, and he was electric in the open field. He also ran the ball well, rushing for an average of 4.2 yards per carry. But with Hyde and Chubb in the fold, he won’t see many touches other than as a third down receiver.
Hyde has been a solid running back in four years in the NFL. He has rushed for more than four yards per carry in every season in his career except for last season. But he has never rushed for 1,000 yards. He is also an underrated pass catcher, as he had 350 receiving yards last season.
Chubb is the interesting piece of the puzzle. Even with Hyde and Johnson in the fold, the Browns decided to use a second-round pick on the rookie. He is a powerful downhill runner that will pick chunks of yardage. It will be interesting to see how they split the carries up between the three running backs.
4. Quarterbacks
For the first time in the long time, the quarterback position is not worst position group on the roster. With Tyrod Taylor, Baker Mayfield, and Drew Stanton, Cleveland finally has a solid group of quarterbacks.
Taylor is a very smart and accurate quarterback that is not going to make a mistake that will cost the team a game. He may not push the ball downfield, but he can move the offense with chunks of yardage. He is also electric with his feet, buying time in the backfield for his receivers to get open.
Mayfield was the first overall pick and has a lot of expectations. But he also has a lot of talent that gives Browns fans hope for the future. He was the most accurate quarterback in the draft, but is willing to take chances downfield. He will have to prove that his size won’t matter and is able to make smart decisions in the NFL.
Stanton is one of the better backup quarterbacks in the NFL. Although he will not play many snaps, he is going to be very valuable in helping Mayfield develop and transition to the NFL.
3. Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
There are three reasons why this group is ranked this high, and those reasons are Josh Gordon, Jarvis Landry, and David Njoku.
Gordon is one of the best receivers in the NFL. He doesn’t drop passes, he can make difficult catches, and he can stretch the field vertically. He is lightning quick and his speed makes it difficult for defenders to stay glued to him. And even if they can stick with him, he has the size and vertical leap to make catches over defenders. It is very difficult to contain him when he is on the field.
Landry is not the same type of athlete as Gordon. But what he lacks in athleticism he gains as a pass catcher. When the ball is thrown Landry’s way, a play is going to be made. He excels in the middle of the field as a possession receiver. He uses his strong route running to get open and makes himself available to his quarterback.
Njoku is an athletic specimen that creates mismatches for defenders. Although he is not a traditional in-line tight end, he is a threat down the seam. He uses his speed to quickly find holes in the middle of the defense, and can get up and make difficult catches over defenders. He needs work as a blocker, but he has the potential to be one of the best tight ends in the NFL.
With guys like Seth DeValve and Corey Coleman, there is solid depth in case any of these guys have injuries.
2. Offensive Line
Even with the retirement of Joe Thomas, this is still a very solid group of linemen. This group helped an efficient rushing offense that was underutilized become a strength for the team.
Joel Bitonio and Kevin Zeitler are very good guards that will become anchors for the line. J.C. Tretter should play better after a full season of working with the two guards.
There are questions at the tackle spots, as both are newcomers to the team. Chris Hubbard followed Todd Haley to Cleveland, and he will be the starting right tackle. He is a mauler that has the athleticism to perform well in pass protection.
Austin Corbett will be tasked with replacing Thomas, but has the technique that should transition well into the NFL. There are concerns that he is better suited inside, but has the potential to be a solid tackle.
1. Defensive Line
There is no question that the defensive line is the best group on the roster. Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah are electric as edge players and cause havoc in backfields. Both players have the potential of having 10+ sack seasons.
Larry Ogunjobi is a very underrated defensive tackle. He may not get pressure on the quarterback, but he is quick off the ball and is able to fit through gaps. He stuffs running lanes and makes it difficult for offenses to run up the middle.
The Browns have plenty of depth on the defensive line as well. With Chris Smith and Chad Thomas at defensive end, they can rotate players and maintain a fresh defensive line. They also have the versatility to move inside on passing situations.
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The defensive line is so talented they can carry a defense that has plenty of questions everywhere else. With such a strong defensive line, the defense has the potential to surprise a lot of people.