The Cleveland Browns might be the NFL’s most unpredictable team ahead of training camp. Todd Monken is still barely six months into his first year as an NFL head coach, and he’ll be tasked with narrowing one of the league’s youngest rosters from 90 to 53 players over the next month.
While fans should generally expect the unexpected over Cleveland’s 28 days of training camp, the Browns gave us enough information during the spring to take a stab at predicting Monken’s initial 53-man roster.
From the Dillon Gabriel conundrum to the great UDFA debate, here are the locks, sleepers, and everything in between for the Browns entering Day 1 of camp.
Todd Monken has difficult decisions looming across the roster, but the Browns' offseason gave us plenty of clues
Quarterback (4): Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Taylen Green
- Locks: Watson, Sanders
- On the bubble: Gabriel, Green
- Final prediction: The gap between Gabriel and Green seems big enough entering camp that the Browns will find a way to carry all four quarterbacks on the Week 1 roster. … While not ideal, Cleveland has no business dumping young QBs they just drafted. Both Gabriel and Green are worth holding onto, unless a team comes calling with a great trade offer.
Running back (4): Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders, Michael Burton
- Locks: Judkins, Sampson
- On the bubble: Burton, Sanders, Ahmani Marshall
- Final prediction: Monken routinely kept at least three running backs and one fullback during his three seasons as offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens. … The Browns added Burton shortly after the draft as the only true fullback on the roster. … Sanders should slot in nicely as the clear favorite at RB3 entering camp.
Wide receiver (6): Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Isaiah Bond, Tylan Wallace, Malachi Corley
- Locks: Jeudy, Concepcion, Boston, Bond, Wallace
- On the bubble: Corley, Gage Larvadain, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash
- Final prediction: Corley’s versatility as a situational weapon on offense and a kick returner on special teams earns him the nod in a tight battle with Larvadain. … Tillman will flash the talent that made him a third-round draft pick, but he could end up being a cap casualty at the cost of $3.67 million as little more than WR depth.
Tight end (3): Harold Fannin Jr., Joe Royer, Blake Whiteheart
- Locks: Fannin, Royer
- On the bubble: Whiteheart, Jack Stoll, Brenden Bates, Carsen Ryan
- Final prediction: Burton’s experience as a true fullback costs Ryan his spot on the 53-man roster. … Royer’s pass-catching abilities earn him reps as the TE2 behind Fannin. … Whiteheart returns to a key role on special teams as tight end depth.
Offensive tackle (5): Spencer Fano, Tytus Howard, Austin Barber, Dawand Jones, KT Leveston
- Locks: Fano, Howard, Barber
- On the bubble: Jones, Leveston
- Final prediction: Jones survives roster cutdown day with a depth role, one year removed from entering Week 1 as Cleveland’s starting left tackle. … Barber is groomed at swing tackle and as a jumbo tight end, as the team begins to develop him as their right tackle of the future. … Leveston’s versatility to add depth at tackle or guard keeps him inside the initial 53.
Interior O-line (4): Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins, Parker Brailsford
- Locks: Johnson, Brailsford, Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins
- On the bubble: Zak Zinter, Luke Wypler, Jack Conley, Kingsley Eguakun
- Final prediction: In one of the biggest developments of camp, the Browns waive a pair of young interior linemen drafted within the last four years in Zinter and Wypler. … Brailsford ends up being the top reserve to Elgton Jenkins at center, with Teven Jenkins the starter at right guard.
Edge defender (4): Jared Verse, Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire, Logan Fano
- Locks: Verse, Wright, McGuire
- On the bubble: Fano, Julian Okwara, Khordae Sydnor, Tyreak Sapp
- Final prediction: Logan Fano, the older brother of Browns’ first-round pick Spencer, ends up being the lone rookie UDFA to make the initial 53-man roster. … Cleveland's lack of depth at the position leads it to go light, with Okwara, Sydnor, and Sapp all prime candidates for the practice squad. … Barring injury, snaps should be dominated by Verse, Wright, and McGuire.
Defensive tackle (5): Mason Graham, Maliek Collins, Mike Hall Jr., Adin Huntington, Kalia Davis
- Locks: Graham, Collins, Hall, Huntington, Davis
- On the bubble: Sam Kamara, Elijah Chatman
- Final prediction: Collins’ age and recent injury history clears the runway for both Hall and Huntington to earn their spots. … Davis wins a battle with Kamara and Chatman as a valuable depth piece.
Linebacker (5): Carson Schwesinger, Quincy Williams, Winston Reid, Justin Jefferson, Nathaniel Watson
- Locks: Schwesinger, Williams, Jefferson
- On the bubble: Winston Reid, Nathaniel Watson, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Edefuan Ulofoshio
- Final prediction: Jefferson, Cleveland’s fifth-round rookie, fills a core special teams role in Year 1. … Reid challenges for starting reps as the No. 3 inside linebacker. … Watson’s upside lands him the final spot with Mascarenas-Arnold and Ulofoshio both candidates for the practice squad.
Cornerback (6): Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell, Myles Bryant, Myles Harden, Damarri Mathis, D'Angelo Ross
- Locks: Ward, Campbell, Bryant, Harden
- On the bubble: Mathis, Ross, Tre Avery, Michael Coats Jr., Nate Evans
- Final prediction: Bryant edges out Harden as Cleveland’s main nickel, but Harden makes the team in a complementary role. … Ross edges out Avery for the final roster spot, with Mathis solidifying himself as a top reserve on the boundary. … Coats and Evans head to the practice squad as intriguing developmental pieces.
Safety (4): Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Daniel Thomas
- Locks: Delpit, Hickman, McNeil-Warren, Thomas
- On the bubble: Chris Edwards, Donovan McMillon
- Final prediction: Cleveland goes a bit thin at the position, with Edwards being first in line as a potential practice squad call-up on game days. … McNeil-Warren is eased in as a key depth piece and special teams contributor to start the year. … Thomas emerges as one of the captains on special teams.
Specialists (3): Andre Szmyt (K), Corey Bojorquez (P), Rex Sunahara (LS)
- Final prediction: There’s a case to be made for Gage Larvadain to be a fourth specialist as a punt returner, but Concepcion runs away with that job in camp, clearing a roster spot for Monken to carry all four of his quarterbacks into Week 1.
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