With the Cleveland Browns wrapping up OTAs, it seemed like a good time to again predict their 53-man roster to start the 2023 season.
Cleveland has done a good job building depth on their roster, which will make it more difficult than ever for players on the fringe to make the cut. Let's dive right in with the quarterback position, which has its own potential drama when it comes to the final spot.
Cleveland Browns 53-man roster prediction
Quarterback (3):
Deshaun Watson
Josh Dobbs
Dorian Thompson-Robinson
Deshaun Watson is the unquestioned starter under center for Cleveland and it appears Josh Dobbs is set at QB2. Dobbs spent much of the 2022 campaign with the Browns but was actually released when Watson returned from his 11-game suspension.
He started a couple of games for the Tennessee Titans but returned to the Browns and his fully guaranteed $2 million deal (how will the billionaires survive if they fully guarantee contracts?) suggests he's locked that job down.
Behind him, Dorian Thompson-Robinson should be the No. 3 quarterback and he's already impressing in camp. However, Kellen Mond spent all of 2022 on the roster and won't go down quietly. It might not be a typical QB controversy but it could be fun to see them battle for that spot.
In the end, DTR should win it but Mond is more talented than he's getting credit for.
Running Back (5):
Nick Chubb
Jerome Ford
Demetric Felton
At running back, there's only one spot up for grabs. Nick Chubb is going nowhere as the star and Jerome Ford is RB2 after the front office showed faith in him during the offseason. Not only did they stick with Ford but they also added nearly no one.
They drafted no one and only signed Hassan Hall as an undrafted free agent. Hall has a shot at making the team but with the wideout position crowded, they should move Demetric Felton to running back full-time. His receiving skill is a huge plus and could make him an intriguing option, especially on passing downs.
Wide Receiver (6):
Amari Cooper
Elijah Moore
Donovan Peoples-Jones
Marquise Goodwin
David Bell
Cedric Tillman
Adding Amari Cooper was a huge win for Cleveland last year. The former Cowboys wideout recorded 78 receptions for 1,160 yards with nine touchdowns. He was a perfect fit for Kevin Stefanski's offense due to his highly technical route-running as well as his ability to catch on the run and extend plays.
His presence also helped Donovan Peoples-Jones put up career numbers in his third campaign. Now, they throw Elijah Moore into the mix, and he might be the missing piece on this offensive puzzle.
Cleveland kept adding depth after that, with Marquise Goodwin in free agency and Cedric Tillman in the draft. All these additions make it easy to forget David Bell was added in Round 3 a season ago and came in with a ton of promise.
All six should make the roster and that spells the end for Anthony Schwartz, who never developed into the deep threat they needed him to be.
Tight End(3):
David Njoku
Jordan Akins
Harrison Bryant
Jordan Akins was another offseason addition and he bolsters the tight end corps in a big way. A former teammate of Deshaun Watson, he already has a rapport with the No. 1 quarterback and should be a great option behind David Njoku.
Njoku had another strong campaign in 2022 and could find even more favorable matchups with the improvements our wide. Harrison Bryant rounds out the group, giving them three solid options at the position.
Offensive Line (9):
Jedrick Wills
Joel Bitonio
Ethan Pocic
Wyatt Teller
Jack Conklin
Dawand Jones
James Hudson III
Luke Wypler
Michael Dunn
Suddenly, the Cleveland Browns have a very deep offensive line. They've had a very talented one for the past several seasons but there were concerns about the depth. That's not the case right now as they added a couple of key backups this year — and both came from Ohio State.
Dawand Jones comes in as a potential swing tackle, and he's already working at left tackle in camp — after playing on the right side for the Bueckeyes. He might not unseat James Hudson as a rookie but it won't be long.
His former OSU teammate, Luke Wypler, joins him and many consider him a potential starting center in the NFL. He beats out Nick Harris and in the end, that leads to the release of the young man who was expected to start last year before an injury sidelined him.
Harris becomes expendable since he's not very versatile. He primarily plays center and Wypler might be a better fit at guard. Then there's Michael Dunn who can play just about every position on the line.
As for the starters, they remain the same after re-signing Ethan Pocic in the offseason. He was dominant in 2022 and gives the Browns one of the best interior lines in the NFL with Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. At tackle, Jack Conklin and Jed Wills each had respectable grades from PFF, even if Wills isn't exactly popular right now.
Defensive Line (10):
Myles Garrett
Maurice Hurst, Jr.
Dalvin Tomlinson
Za'Darius Smith
Ogbo Okoronkwo
Alex Wright
Isaiah McGuire
Siaki Ika
Perrion Winfrey
Trysten Hill
There are two guaranteed new starters on the defensive line for the Browns and it could be three if Jordan Elliott is beaten out. Right now, Elliott has the upper hand but Maurice Hurst, Jr. is doing all he can to turn heads early in camp.
Hurst has always had the skill and if he can stay healthy, he should be the starter next to Dalvin Tomlinson — who was their top free-agent addition this offseason. If Elliott does lose the starting job, look for him to be a potential release, which is what happens here. Perrion Winfrey offers more as a reserve pass rusher and Trsyten Hill is a former second-round pick that can play either D-tackle spot.
Also, don't be surprised if Alex Wright finds his way to the field on third downs as an interior pass rusher as well.
Siaki Ika will also get time in the rotation as the former Baylor nose tackle will be their primary run-stuffing nose tackle.
Defensive end will also have a rotation, even with two great options to start. Myles Garrett is the best DE this franchise has ever had and Za'Darius Smith gives him arguably the best No. 2 pass rusher he's ever worked with. Ogbo Okornonkwo is there as well, giving them a pass-rushing specialist to rotate in and out.
Isaiah McGuire joins the ranks as a rookie fourth-round pick and will likely have to beat out Wright to see the field.
Linebacker (6):
Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Anthony Walker
Sione Takitaki
Jordan Kunaszyk
Jacob Phillips
Matthew Adams
It was a bit of a surprise that Cleveland didn't add more depth at linebacker this offseason. Clearly, they believe in the talent they have, which is hard to argue.
Anthony Walker has been a vocal leader off the field and has done well on it as well. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah has been everything they expected as a second-round pick and Sione Takitaki really came on strong last season. The problem is, all three of them were on the IR by the time the season ended.
Also on the IR was Jacob Phillips, who has been struggling mightily with health throughout his career. By bringing back this same corps, they're banking on the durability turning a corner and that could be risky.
The good news is, they do have a couple of options deep on the depth chart. Jordan Kunaszyk played well in 2022 and his energy is already catching the eye of Jim Schwartz. He's also a strong player on special teams.
That's the case for Matthew Adams as well, who was the lone free-agency addition this year. Adams had 26 tackles for the Bears in 2022 and spent the previous four seasons in Indianapolis where he worked with Bubba Ventrone, Cleveland's new special teams coordinator.
Cornerback (5):
Denzel Ward
Greg Newsome
Martin Emerson
A.J. Green
Cameron Mitchell
The Browns have three cornerbacks who are very good in man coverage, which is why it was so frustrating to see them play so much zone in 2022. With Jim Schwartz, they're expected to return to their strengths
Schwartz has also apparently gotten Greg Newsome to enjoy moving around on defense. The former first-round pick wasn't a fan of playing in the slot for Joe Woods, saying it was more of a "linebacker" role. If that holds true, it would be huge considering how good Martin Emerson and Denzel Ward were on the boundaries in 2022.
Cleveland has solid depth with A.J. Green and rookie Cameron Mitchell could prove to be another decent option.
Safety (5):
Juan Thornhill
Rodney McLeod
Grant Delpit
D'Anthony Bell
Ronnie Hickman
Free agent additions Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod are the main reasons the Browns will be able to play Ward, Newsome, and Emerson in man coverage this year. Both are exceptional in coverage with PFF ranking McLeod second in the NFL in coverage and Thornhill 12th at the position.
McLeod also has experience working with Jim Schwartz and is expected to move all over the secondary. They'll both likely be ahead of Grant Delpit who enters a critical fourth season in the NFL.
The safety position is rounded out with D'Anthony Bell and undrafted free agent Ronnie Hickman. They both will likely see more time on special teams than base defense but have plenty of potential.
Specialists (3):
Cade York
Corey Bojorquez
Charley Hughlett
This is one of the areas where a tough decision has to be made, even if it doesn't seem like it at first glance. Sure, the main specialist positions are locked up. Cade York, who had his ups and downs as a rookie, will be there again in 2023. He hit on 75 percent of his attempts, so he needs to improve, but he has the leg and the mental makeup to succeed.
Corey Bojorquez was solid at punter, hitting an average of 48.5 yards per punt during his first season with the Browns. Then there's Charley Hughlett who simply gets it done as the long-snapper and is going nowhere. But the one question becomes Jakeem Grant.
Cleveland added him a year ago and he was supposed to be their return specialist before suffering an Achilles injury. He reworked his contract to give him another shot this year but it's hard to see him making this roster without an injury that frees up a spot.
The Browns would have to go thin somewhere else to keep Grant and that's not an easy move to see — especially with players capable of returning on the roster such as Demetric Felton, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Jerome Ford also on the roster.