Cleveland Browns 53-Man roster prediction Preseason Week 2
By Randy Gurzi
Defensive Line (9): Myles Garrett, Larry Ogunjobi, Sheldon Richardson, Olivier Vernon, Chris Smith, Chad Thomas, Devaroe Lawrence, Trevon Coley, Anthony Zettel
The Browns starting defensive line is as impressive as any in the NFL. Their leader is former No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett and if Preseason Week 1 was any indication, he’s going to be dominant this year. Garrett looked impossible to block and was actually getting holding calls — the respect is starting to form.
Making their line even more dangerous is the addition of Olivier Vernon, who was added in a trade with the New York Giants. Vernon was a big free-agent signing for the G-Men back in 2016 but never lived up to the hype. That doesn’t mean he’s a bad player by any means. In fact, he’s coming off a Pro Bowl season and gives Cleveland their best edge-rushing tandem in recent memory.
More. Browns D-line will be tested during Colts joint practices. light
In the middle, they have Sheldon Richardson and Larry Ogunjobi. Richardson was a high-priced addition this offseason whereas Ogunjobi started to break out for Cleveland in 2018. The two together are a nice mix of run-stuffing and interior pass rushing.
The one question that needs to be answered this season is how the Browns depth will look. On Thursday, it didn’t look bad at all. Backup pass rushers Chris Smith and Chad Thomas looked good, although Thomas did suffer a scary injury not long after the game. Good news is, he should be ok and stays on the roster here (rather than having to go to IR).
At defensive tackle, they have Trevon Coley who started most of last season and Devaroe Lawrence, who really stood out in their first game and could get some snaps this season should he keep that up. The ninth D-lineman is Anthony Zettel, who beats out Carl Davis since he can play tackle and end.