Projected starter cut in Cleveland Browns 53-man roster prediction Preseason Week 2

With another preseason game in the books for the Cleveland Browns, it's time to again look at their 53-man roster.

Several players have been making a strong case to make the team, including rookie Ronnie Hickman. Let's see if it's enough for him to make the cut.

Quarterback (3):

Deshan Watson
Josh Dobbs
Dorian Thompson-Robinson

Deshaun Watson got in his first action of the preseason and he had 12 yards passing and 20 yards rushing. It wasn't as if he put up video game numbers but he was decisive and looked comfortable running the offense. He even got them down to the one-yard line — and they likely would have scored if Nick Chubb was playing.

Once he left, the offense stalled under Josh Dobbs. He was 8-of-16 for 77 yards with a pick and just didn't look like the same player we saw in the 2022 preseason who excited fans.

That could put his QB2 spot in jeopardy, especially with how well Dorian Thompson-Robinson is playing. The rookie from UCLA was 9-of-10 for 102 yards with a touchdown and continues to be the most exciting player on the team. He easily unseats Kellen Mond but is still QB3 to start the season.

Playing backup quarterback is tough and if the Browns have to turn to someone should Watson suffer an injury, they'll likely lean on the veteran and continue to develop DTR.

That means they'll part ways with Kellen Mond, who they held on the roster throughout the 2022 season. He's been decent in the first two games which makes it unlikely he lands on the practice squad.

Running Back (3):

Nick Chubb
Jerome Ford
Demetric Felton

Nick Chubb continued to sit since the Browns have no intention of risking their workhorse in a meaningless game. They also had Jerome Ford out after he suffered a hamstring injury. They recently added Jordan Wilkins as insurance — but he seems as though he will only make the team if the Ford injury lingers into the regular season.

Right now, Demetric Felton has the edge for the RB3 spot. He's been solid in each of the first two preseason games. He's been much quicker and more decisive than we've seen in the past — likely due to the fact that he's focused on one position now instead of bouncing from running back to wideout.

Wide Receiver (6):

Amari Cooper
Elijah Moore
Donovan Peoples-Jones
David Bell
Cedric Tillman
Austin Watkins, Jr.

Marquise Goodwin (PUP)

Amari Cooper returns for his second season with the Browns and he still doesn't get the love he deserves. He's been a No. 1 wide receiver for the majority of his career but many still don't think he's a No. 1 guy — likely due to his quiet nature which is odd because Nick Chubb is praised for a similar approach.

Elijah Moore joins him and proved he can also be a weapon out of the backfield. He's likely the WR2 but it wouldn't be surprising to see Donovan Peoples-Jones in that role either.

Third and fourth will be David Bell and Cedric Tillman who were each third-round picks. Bell was decent as a rookie although had limited opportunities. Tillman was great in his debut but had some issues against Washington. Still, they both can play and have bright futures.

Lastly, there's Austin Watkins, Jr. who has been the star of the preseason.

There's still no word on how long Marquise Goodwin will be out but the Browns need to play it safe with his blood clot issue. That's why he starts the year out on the PUP and it's going to be a tough call to make when he comes back due to the way Watkins has played.

Tight End (3):

David Njoku
Jordan Akins
Harrison Bryant

Jordan Akins got his first target of the preseason, hauling it in for a five-yard gain before leaving with the other starters. He remains the TE2 behind David Njoku but we already saw how quickly Deshaun Watson will look his way.

Third on the tight end depth chart is Harrison Bryant, who has been out with a non-football health issue. Until we know how serious this is, he should be on the roster. But if he has to miss time, the decision will come down to Miller Forristall and Zaire Mitchell-Paden.

Offensive Line (10):

Jedrick Wills
Joel Bitonio
Ethan Pocic
Wyatt Teller
Jack Conklin
Dawand Jones
James Hudson III
Luke Wypler
Drew Forbes
Nick Harris

The starting five is the same in 2023 as it was in 2022. The Browns have a lot of consistency here with Jedrick Wills, Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin. They do need to stay healthy and would like to see Wills clean up some areas of concern.

Behind them, Dawand Jones could surpass James Hudson as the swing tackle after Hudson struggled in their loss to Washington. Luke Wypler and Nick Harris can each play center but might not be ideal guards — still, they can play so they make the team.

Last is Drew Forbes, who can play guard and tackle. His versatility will be a huge plus on game days.

Defensive Line (9):

Myles Garrett
Shelby Harris
Dalvin Tomlinson
Za'Darius Smith
Ogbo Okoronkwo
Isaiah McGuire
Siaki Ika
Maurice Hurst
Tommy Togiai

Alex Wright (IR)
Isaiah Thomas (IR)

Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz likes to rotate his defensive linemen often, which makes it seem likely they could go deep on the D-line. Going with 10 is a possibility but with Alez Wright and Isaiah Thomas each injured, they go with nine to kick things off.

The starting four are vastly improved from what we saw in 2022. Myles Garrett has become the franchise sack leader already but he had no help last year. Now, he has Za'Darius Smith on the opposite side of the line, giving Cleveland another 10-plus sack guy that offenses have to worry about.

They also brought in Dalvin Tomlinson, who was their prized free agent addition to play D-tackle. He was expected to start next to Jordan Elliott but after Elliott's struggles in the Hall of Fame Game, the Browns signed Shelby Harris.

Elliott now fails to make the cut in this prediction as rookie Siaki Ika and Tommy Togiai — who felt like a lock to be released — have performed better thus far. There's also Maurice Hurst, who can be a weapon as an interior pass rusher from the 3-tech.

Their reserve ends include Ogbo Okoronkwo and rookie Isaiah McGuire. They'll bring Alex Wright back as soon as possible and it's likely one of the tackles loses their spot at that point.

Linebacker (6):

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Anthony Walker
Sione Takitaki
Tony Fields
Jordan Kunaszyk
Matthew Adams

One of the added benefits of improving the defensive line this offseason is the way it frees up the linebackers. Cleveland has some athletic players, especially Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, but they've been held back by the fact that the D-line was being pushed back on every snap.

We've already seen JOK thrive in this defense in his limited preseason snaps. Others such as Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker will benefit as well.

With Jacob Phillips heading to the IR, Tony Fields becomes the primary reserve and he too has been playing well. Jordan Kunaszyk and Matthew Adams round out the unit but they'll primarily be special teams contributors.

Cornerback (5):

Denzel Ward
Greg Newsome
Martin Emerson
Mike Ford
Cameron Mitchell

The top three cornerbacks for Cleveland are as good as any in the NFL. Denzel Ward and Greg Newsome were each first-round selections and are proven starters. Martin Emerson was a third-round pick last year but he was oftentimes their best corner.

All three should be even better in 2023 with the addition of Juan Thornhill since they will be able to play tighter coverage without the worry of constantly giving up the deep ball if the wideout gets past them.

Mike Ford is the fourth corner and was signed away from the Falcons. He showed up with a sack on the blitz last week and is another special teams ace. Cameron Mitchell is the fifth and beats out A.J. Green.

Safety (5):

Juan Thornhill
Grant Delpit
Rodney McLeod
Ronnie Hickman
D'Anthony Bell

The question when it comes to safety is how deep Cleveland wants to go. They know who will be the top three players with free agent additions Juan Thornhill and Rodney McLeod joining former second-round pick Grant Delpit.

Thornhill is the deep coverage guy they have been missing over the past couple of seasons and McLeod is one of the most underrated signings of the offseason. Delpit is a more instinctive player best suited to attack the ball and the addition of Thornhill and McLeod will be a huge benefit for him.

Ronnie Hickman, an undrafted free agent from Ohio State, had two picks in their loss to the Commanders.

He's likely sealed that fourth spot and if they go five deep, D'Anthony Bell should be the man.

Specialists (3):

Cade York
Corey Bojorquez
Charley Hughlett

Cade York is still the kicker and Kevin Stefanski continues to show support for the second-year player from LSU. However, he's missed two kicks in the preseason, going wide from 49 in the opener and 46 against Washington.

He has the leg strength but there's something off. Bubba Ventrone was hired as the special teams coach and he knew his first task would be to get York on track. That needs to happen sooner rather than later.

Outside of York, their other specialists are set with Corey Bojorquez and Charley Hughlett at punter and long snapper respectively.

More Cleveland Browns news and analysis