Cleveland Browns: 53-man roster prediction for defense

Cornerback and Safety

Finally, the Cleveland Browns secondary that was so decimated by injuries in 2020. The four locks at cornerback will be Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Greedy Williams, and Troy Hill as the nickel. Because of so many injuries in the past, I do expect the Browns to carry a fifth corner who will likely be M.J. Stewart.

Stewart saw a lot of playing time in 2020 because of injuries and showed that he has a decent amount of flexibility to move around if needed, he will also contribute on special teams. The big question is who will be the second corner after Ward? My money is on the rookie, Newsome, but it appears Williams is up to the challenge and has had a strong camp so far.

I expect the Cleveland Browns to also carry five safeties. With the implementation of the 4-2-5, they’ll likely carry one less linebacker and one additional safety than most teams. John Johnson, Ronnie Harrison, and Grant Delpit will be the three starters in the scheme. Expect Harrison to be the first guy out on 4-3 sets, but he should still be heavily involved in the defense.

After that I expect rookie, Richard LeCounte (assuming he heals) to get the nod as well as Javante Moffatt.  LeCounte was a star in college before a motorcycle crash, but if he heals properly, he could be a steal from the 2021 draft. Moffatt is a freak athlete and will be utilized on special teams more than anything.

The big guy left out in this picture, Sheldrick Redwine. The fourth-round pick from 2019 has been okay at times but is just too inconsistent. If LeCounte would end up not getting healthy he could squeeze his way on the roster, but I expect the Browns to finally move on after two seasons.