Cleveland Browns 53-man roster prediction ahead of 2021 training camp

Defensive Line 9

Myles Garrett
Jordan Elliott
Andrew Billings
Jadeveon Clowney
Malik Jackson
Tommy Togiai
Marvin Wilson
Takk McKinley
Curtis Weaver

Tough cuts: Porter Gustin, Malik McDowell

There are two extremes when it comes to the defensive line for the Cleveland Browns. First, is the edge spot where they can go three or four deep. Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney are both former No. 1 overall picks and Garrett is one of the best in the entire NFL.

Then there’s Takk McKinley who is also a former first-round pick that can come in and give them quality snaps. The final defensive end to make it in this prediction is Curtis Weaver, who spent last season on the injured reserve.

That means they would have to move on from Porter Gustin — which isn’t an easy call. Perhaps they end up keeping him but for now, the prediction is that he’s the odd man out as they go heavy at defensive tackle since there’s not near as much certainty there.

As loaded as they are at EDGE, the D-tackle spot has a lot of guys but no legit stars. Andrew Billings is the one-technique but Jordan Elliott and Malik Jackson will be fighting for the three-technique spot.

On the bench, we have rookies Tommy Togiai and Marvin Wilson who both have a lot to like. Again, this feels thin at defensive end, but unless they want to go thin somewhere else, they might need to trust a practice squad guy to provide insurance.

One other tough cut here is Malik McDowell. A former first-round pick in 2017, McDowell has freakish athleticism but has yet to play an NFL game due to injuries and off-field issues. It would be fun to see him make it but it feels like a long shot.