Cleveland Browns 53-man roster prediction without Deshaun Watson

Cleveland Browns Safeties (5):

John Johnson III
Grant Delpit
Ronnie Harrison, Jr. 
Richard LeCounte
Luther Kirk

Defensive coordinator Joe Woods likes to use five defensive backs often in his sets and that usually means there are three safeties on the field often for the Browns. The starters are unquestioned in John Johnson III who came over from the Los Angeles Rams last season and Grant Delpit, who started to come on strong as 2021 went on.

Delpit, a second-round pick from 2020, missed his entire rookie season after suffering a torn Achilles and needed to get his feet back under him before really showing what he could do. There’s a lot of excitement around what he can do going forward now that he’s put in a full year after his surgery.

Third on the depth chart is Ronnie Harrison, Jr. who was added in a trade with the Jaguars ahead of the 2020 season — following Delpit’s injury. Harrison was great in his first year with the Browns but had some hiccups in 2021. He’s back on a one-year deal and should continue to play in the box for the Browns.

The two reserves to make the team in this prediction are Richard LeCounte and Luther Kirk. LeCounte was a fifth-round pick out of Georgia a year ago and has plenty of talent, but has had his share of injuries. As long as he can stay healthy, he’s a player who could develop into a contributor. Kirk is a former undrafted free agent out of Illinois State who makes the cut but could be on the chopping block if another safety they like is waived.