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Predicting the Cleveland Browns 55-man roster at start of camp

By Randy Gurzi

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 22: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns, KhaDarel Hodge #12 and Odell Beckham Jr. #13 walk out onto the field during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 22: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns, KhaDarel Hodge #12 and Odell Beckham Jr. #13 walk out onto the field during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
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Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /

Linebacker (5)

No position is going to see more drastic change this year for the Cleveland Browns than they will see at linebacker. With Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey both out, the group is a lot younger and less experienced.

Mack Wilson

Who would have thought that Mack Wilson would be looking like an unquestioned starter entering 2020? A fifth-round pick out of Alabama, Wilson was thrust into a key role when Christian Kirksey was hurt and will now be the No. 1 guy in Joe Woods 4-2-5 defensive scheme.

Wilson isn’t perfect by any means but he constantly finds himself around the ball and has made some great plays on the ball. Hopefully, with a little more experience, he can become more consistent and turn into a leader for this defense.

Jacob Phillips

Yes, Jacob Phillips is coming in second in the linebacker corps on this prediction. A third-round pick this season, Phillips was a tackling machine for LSU and the Browns could use that this year. They’re thin at the position which helps him as he looks to crack the lineup.

Sione Takitaki

John Dorsey was really high on BYU linebacker Sione Takitaki and used a third-round pick on him last year. He’s favored to be the second linebacker right now but Phillips seems a little more well-rounded. Takitaki will still have a lot of opportunities in front of him to make an impact — and to prove he has improved upon his quiet rookie campaign.

B.J. Goodson

When the Browns let Joe Schobert walk and cut Christian Kirksey, they knew they needed someone with experience. That’s where B.J. Goodson came in. A fifth-year veteran, Goodson will likely start out as one of the top guys in camp but look for the youth to prevail. Still, he’s a very valuable player to have with so much inexperience.

Willie Harvey

An undrafted free agent out of Iowa State, Willie Harvey was able to appear in two games last season for the Browns and should make the roster. He’s undersized at 5-foot-11 and 230-pounds but he showed out when he was on the field in the preseason. There’s a future in the NFL for Harvey and 2020 could be the year he starts to prove that.

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