Cleveland Browns left out of top-10 in ESPN’s future power rankings
ESPN recently released its new 2024 NFL Future Power Rankings in which it examines each franchise's next three years and ranks them according to its predictions. ESPN experts Dan Graziano, Louis Reddick, and Aaron Schatz examined their crystal footballs and came up with the list. The rankings are based on teams' coaching, front offices, quarterbacks, and rosters.
Grades: 100 - A+ (Elite), 90 as an A (Great), 80 - B (Very Good), 70 - C (Average), 60 - D (Very Bad), 50 - F (Disastorous)
- Kansas City Chiefs - 95.3
- Baltimore Ravens - 91.6
- Buffalo Bills - 89.5
- Detroit Lions - 88.9
- Philadelphia Eagles - 88.8
- Houston Texans - 88.5
- San Francisco 49ers - 88.5
- Cincinatti Bengals - 87.6
- Green Bay Packers - 86.4
- Miami Dolphins - 84.0
- Cleveland Browns - 83.8
- Overall Roster (Minus Quarterback) - 84.0 (12th)
- Quarterback - 71.3 (26th)
- Coaching - 91.7 (6)
- Front Office - 85.7 (7th)
Reason For Hope:
Graziano states the depth Cleveland has in their roster, led by 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and two-time Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski’s ability to ‘engineer success’ are bright spots for the Browns future.
Another noted sign of hope is Deshaun Watson’s age, who turns 29 in September, and his steady production increase last season before his shoulder injury. With Watson being just 28, coming off surgery on his throwing arm, and added talent to the wide receiver room, Graziano believes it’s "not absurd to think he might still turn it around." The Browns also agreed to deals with pass catchers Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy this offseason, avoiding a holdout with Cooper for this season and locking Jeudy in through the 2027 season.
Reason For Concern:
It should come as no surprise that Louis Reddick puts the future of the Browns entirely on Deshaun Watson and his ability to live up to his massive contract. Watson’s numbers in Cleveland are a concern when grading the Browns quarterback, who has played in just 12 games since 2022. If Watson can remain healthy, pick up where he left off before his season-ending injury, and play his first full season as a member of the Browns, Cleveland can become a consistent playoff contender for the next few years.
With Deshaun Watson under the most pressure to perform at the level he once did as a Houston Texan, ESPN's experts seem to highly regard the rest of the team. Every other ranking sits within the top half of the league. Some big decisions will be made following the 2024 season, including Amari Cooper’s future in orange and brown, but for this season, all eyes will once again be on Watson.
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