Cleveland Browns: 53 man roster prediction ahead of training camp
By Randy Gurzi
Linebacker (6): Christian Kirksey, Mychal Kendricks, Jamie Collins, Joe Schobert, James Burgess, Genard Avery
Arguably the strongest position on this entire roster is the linebacker group. They easily go six-strong here with three of the best starters in the NFL. Christian Kirksey was one of the best outside linebackers in the league and Joe Schobert led the league in tackles. Even so, he may be coming off the bench in 2018.
That’s because they brought in Mychal Kendricks, who looks to man the middle. The third starter will be Jamie Collins. He’s an athletic freak and can make some big plays if healthy. If he can’t stay on the field, Schobert can come in and Kendricks will kick out wide.
The rest of the bench is strong as James Burgess had 75 tackles last season according to NFL.com. Lastly, we have Genard Avery, the rookie from Memphis. He may be a special teams ace in his first season, but the upside is high.
Defensive Line (10): Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Trevon Coley, Emmanuel Ogbah, Chris Smith, Chad Thomas, Carl Nassib, Caleb Brantley, Jamie Meder, Trenton Thompson
With Myles Garrett and Emmanuel Ogbah battling injury issues in 2017, the team struggled. They aim to strengthen the bench with the signing of Chris Smith and drafting of Chad Thomas. All four can play and provide something special, but there’s also Carl Nassib who can take a step forward in 2018 without having so much on his plate.
The interior looks to consist of Larry Ogunjobi and Trevon Coley as the starters. Their depth there is underrated with Caleb Brantley playing well in his limited snaps and Jamie Meder also showing his ability as a run stuffer. Trenton Thompson was an undrafted signing and makes the team here. He may not contribute much as a rookie, but his career could be promising if he develops his raw skill.