Do the Cleveland Browns have best under-25 core in the NFL?

The Cleveland Browns have built a strong young core over the past couple of seasons, but is it the best starting five 25 or younger in the NFL?

The Cleveland Browns’ rapid turnaround last season after going 1-31 the two seasons prior became one of the biggest stories in the NFL.

Entering the 2018 season, it appeared that the Browns were in the midst of a long-term rebuild and being in contention was still a few years away. However, after a couple of drafts of nailing some picks, the Browns are ready to compete for a playoff spot, and potentially more, in 2019.

The Browns are in this position because of how they built a strong group of young talent, not because of overspending in free agency. But do the Browns have the best starting five of players 25 or younger in the NFL, a question posed by Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network?

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Although the Cowboys’ young core initially piqued Jeremiah’s interest, he believed that Cleveland’s core of Myles Garrett, Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb, Denzel Ward, and David Njoku may be the best group of young talent in the NFL currently.

Garrett has already emerged as one of the best edge players in the NFL. He proved last season that he can be a dominant pass rusher with his 13.5 sacks despite seeing plenty of extra attention from blockers. Even when he wasn’t getting sacks, he was still creating enough pressure that affected the efficiency of opposing offenses.

The trio of Mayfield, Chubb, and Ward became rising stars at their positions after putting together impressive rookie seasons. Both Mayfield and Chubb were nominated for the Pepsi Rookie of the Year award and Ward was named to the Pro Bowl after showing the potential of being a shutdown cornerback.

Njoku has the potential of being a top tight end in the NFL, even though he hasn’t been able to fully show that potential yet. But during his second season in the NFL last year, Njoku finished in the top-ten in receptions, yards, and touchdowns among tight ends. With more development and refining of his skills, he may emerge as a top tight end in the next couple of seasons.

But the fifth player could be alternated with a couple other young Browns, including Joe Schobert and Larry Ogunjobi. Schobert is one of the best coverage linebackers in the NFL and is the brains of the Browns defense. Ogunjobi proved to be an effective pass rusher up the middle and is solid against the run.

And a case could be made that Kareem Hunt should be included in this list, as he has proven over the past two seasons that he is one of the best running backs in the NFL. But he may need to play snaps for the Browns before being included on the list.

The Browns have several young players who could be included as a part of the starting five, which goes to show how talented of a group they have. Cleveland also may have another player to add to the group in Greedy Williams if he is able to turn his success in college into success in the NFL, similar to Ward last season.

The Browns do have competition in this question with the Cowboys, as they have several young play-makers. Similar to the Browns, the Cowboys have several players at the top of their position group, such as Ezekiel Elliott, and players who are creeping towards the top of their position group.

Although this is a subjective question posed by Jeremiah, there is a strong case to be made that the Browns have the best group of players 25 or younger. Without the group the Browns have built, they would not be in the position that they are in to compete for a playoff spot in 2019.

And after another season, the trio of Mayfield, Chubb, and Ward could become one of the best players at their position, like Garrett was able to do in his sophomore season. If that occurs, it would be hard to deny the Browns as the best group of starters 25 or younger.