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Ranking the Browns’ position groups heading into the 2022 season

It is finally game week for the Cleveland Browns season opener for the 2022 NFL season. After what seemed like the longest offseason in the history of mankind, the Browns are just days away from kicking off the season against Baker Mayfield and the Panthers in Carolina. The games will finally count. The roster is now set for the season after a full offseason of movement. So, where is the strength of the team? What are its weakest parts? Well, I went ahead and ranked each position group on the Browns to see what the best and worst units are heading into 2022. I have also put the groups into tiers. Tier 1 is for the elite-loaded position units. Tier 2 is a very talented unit that may be missing just one thing to make it elite. Tier 3 is the position unit where there is a bunch of talent and potential, but the production is not quite there yet. Tier 4 is a position of worry and need. Let’s take a look!

1. Running Backs

Tier 1

The Browns running back unit is the best running back unit in the NFL. It likely has three starting-caliber running backs: Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, and D’Ernest Johnson. Chubb is a top-five running back in the league and the centerpiece of the run game. With Hunt and Johnson, Cleveland has two backs who they can rely on and be comfortable with playing while Chubb rests. The Browns also have rookie Jerome Ford on the depth chart and he may have been one of the most impressive players of the preseason. This is an absolutely loaded unit and I didn’t even include Demetric Felton, who can play running back and receiver.

2. Cornerbacks

Tier 1

The cornerback unit is not far behind the running back unit. Denzel Ward is a top-10 cornerback in the NFL. His starting mate, Greg Newsome, had a great rookie season and is one of the most promising young corners in the NFL. Cleveland is in a great position to utilize numerous corners on the field at once. Greedy Williams finally got healthy and showcased his talent last season. He became a reliable corner in the secondary and so he will be the third corner on the depth chart. The fun part of this cornerback group is that the team also has two young talented backups in the fourth and fifth spots on the depth chart. A.J. Green has performed well in the limited times he has been on the field in his young career so far, while rookie Martin Emerson has been the talk of the preseason. This is a unit deep with young talented corners.

3. Edge Rushers

Tier 2

When you have a top-10 overall player in Myles Garrett, the position is in good hands. Garrett is joined by Jadeveon Clowney again. Clowney had a great season last year, giving Garrett is the best running mate of his career. With these two in the starting lineup, the Browns are in good hands at edge rusher. The position’s depth is young but has some promise. Rookie Alex Wright had a very good preseason and he is set to be the top backup edge rusher for this defense. Chase Winovich is the veteran of the backups with experience of being a productive player in the NFL. Isaiah Thomas is the other rookie edge rusher on the depth chart. He had some productive games in the preseason. The edge rusher unit is top-heavy, but it has promising young depth.

4. Interior Offensive Line

Tier 2

The interior offensive line has been one of the best units on the roster for many years now. This year it has taken a bit of a hit given the change at center, but it still is a strong unit overall. It is led by two top-10 offensive guards, Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller. These two are stalwarts in the middle of the line and the best two offensive linemen on the team. The center position lost J.C. Tretter and then Nick Harris in training camp, leaving Ethan Pocic as the starting center. He is an experienced center with a lot of starts under his belt, but he is a clear downgrade from Tretter. Michael Dunn is a really talented backup interior offensive lineman with starting experience. He gives the team a reliable backup at both guard and center. Hjalte Froholdt is also on the interior offensive line depth chart. This group overall is good, but it has a bit of a question mark at center.

5. Safeties

Tier 2

The safety position is another deep and talented unit. John Johnson and Grant Delpit are a strong 1-2 punch at the safety starting spots. These two are uber versatile talented safeties. The depth is also pretty good. Ronnie Harrison returns as the third safety. He will be utilized as the third safety on the field when Joe Woods uses those looks on defense. The unit also has second-year man Richard LeCounte and rookie D’Anthony Bell. Bell was the star of the preseason as he earned a spot on the roster as an undrafted rookie. This is a strong group with good depth.

6. Offensive Tackles

Tier 2

The offensive tackle unit has the talent to be higher on this list, but the question of health in the starting lineup lowers them a bit. Jack Conklin is coming off a serious injury and right now he is not a certainty to start Week 1. When healthy, Conklin is one of the best right tackles in the league. Jedrick Wills is another talented tackle but hasn’t been able to consistently show it due to numerous injuries. When fully healthy, he has shown the talent to be a really good tackle. Chris Hubbard is a great veteran backup with a lot of starting experience. He, too, is coming off an injury. James Hudson is the young, second-year offensive tackle who got a lot of valuable playing reps last year. The team also signed veteran Joe Haeg. This position group can be really good if they can stay healthy. Health will be the question.

7. Tight Ends

Tier 3

The tight end unit saw a change at the top with the release of Austin Hooper, but it may have made way for the younger, more talented tight ends to get on the field. David Njoku finally gets the chance to be the guy in Kevin Stefanski’s offense. I expect big things from him. Harrison Bryant may get the biggest boost from the release of Hooper. Stefanski loves utilizing multiple tight ends, so he will see his snap count go way up. He can be a difference-maker in the passing game. Cleveland also signed veteran Jesse James to be the third tight end on the roster. This tight end unit has one of the higher ceilings on the roster, but it has to show it.

8. Special Teams

Tier 3

The Browns remade the special teams this offseason, bringing in veteran punter Corey Bojorquez and drafting kicker Cade York. The punter and kicker positions have been a mess over the past several years. Bojorquez will give the team a reliable veteran punter with a big leg. York will give the team a young kicker with loads of potential behind his powerful leg. These two should be huge additions to uplift this position. The returner spot is still a mystery after Jakeem Grant was lost for the season. Charley Hughlett is Mr. Reliable at long snapper. I expect a big improvement from the special teams unit behind these new additions.

9. Quarterbacks

Tier 3

The quarterback position has been the talk of the offseason and preseason. For just this season, I have the quarterback group this low due largely because of the suspension of Deshaun Watson for 11 games. If he was playing all 17 games, this unit would be close to the top of the list. Without Watson under center for most of the year, the Browns are left with Jacoby Brissett. Brissett is a veteran with a lot of starting experience, but he is not a quarterback who you should expect to go and lead an offense with his great play. He should be an improvement on last season’s quarterback play. When Watson gets back, we will not know what kind of shape he will be in when he takes his first regular-season snaps in just under two years. We just don’t know right now. The backups, Joshua Dobbs and Kellen Mond are not really quarterbacks I would be overly confident in starting a game for this team. These are the reasons why I have the quarterback spot this low.

10. Linebackers

Tier 3

The linebacker unit is no longer a huge hole on defense. It possesses one of the most talented young players on the roster: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah. His presence in the group lifts this group up. Anthony Walker is a reliable veteran middle linebacker, while Sione Takitaki is really strong in his role as the run-defending strongside linebacker. Jacob Phillips has the potential to really raise this unit up even more. His potential as the future of the middle linebacker spot could create a nice 1-2 punch with JOK. Tony Fields fills out the depth chart as the young unknown player of the unit. This is a solid unit with the potential to be much better than last season. By no means does this low ranking reflect negatively on this unit, it just shows how much talent the roster has in the other position groups.

11. Wide Receivers

Tier 4

The receiver unit is a one-man show right now in terms of certainty. Amari Cooper is a reliable veteran with a ton of production during his career. He is the team’s No. 1 receiver. The rest of the unit is up in the air quite frankly. Donovan Peoples-Jones is the next man in line because he has shown spurts of brilliance in his career. It has just been uneven and inconsistent so far. Rookie David Bell may be the receiver with the best opportunity to lift this unit up. He is a reliable catcher with a nice ability to make plays after the catch. Mitchell Schwartz is a receiver who looks great on paper given his great timed speed, but he struggled mightily last year and this preseason was not pretty. Rookie Michael Woods is an unknown because he missed most of the preseason with an injury. Right now, it is Cooper and everybody else with very little certainty beyond him.

12. Interior Defensive Line

Tier 4

The interior defensive line is similar to the receiver unit minus the veteran presence at the top. This unit is really young and with very little consistent productive experience. Jordan Elliott has the makings to be a possible breakout player in this unit, but he has to show it. He has been a part-time player so far in his career. Taven Bryan was a draft favorite of mine, but his NFL career has not gone well. The Browns are hoping a change of scenery helps reboot his career. Tommy Togiai had a non-existent rookie season last year. Perrion Winfrey is a rookie, so he is a big unknown. This unit just offers very few certainties and that is why it is last in the rankings.


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