The Cleveland Browns season is officially over. This was a disappointing season after having Super Bowl aspirations going into 2024. Injuries mounted again this year among notable players on top of poor quarterback play plagued the team. Honestly, I believe the talent on the team was slightly overrated with an inept coaching staff, especially on the offensive side of the ball. However, there were some bright spots with Myles Garrett being the fastest player in NFL history to 100 career sacks and Jerry Jeudy finishing with 1,000 yards in his first season.
I am going to categorize players by tiers of players that are most likely to be on the roster next season. Without further ado, let’s get into it!
Note: Ages are in parenthesis going into the 2025 season.
Elite
DE Myles Garrett (29) – The face of the franchise and the fastest to 100 sacks in NFL history. Can the Browns show him that they want to compete in 2025 or will he request a trade?
P Corey Bojorquez (28) – Bojorquez has been one of the best coffin corners in the league averaging 42 yards per punt. He led the league with punts inside of the 20 with 37. The bright spot on special teams.
Very Good
CB Denzel Ward (27) – When healthy, Ward is one of the best cornerbacks in the league. He gave up some big plays this year but still is a lockdown corner who matches the best team’s wide receiver. The main concern is durability as Ward has had five concussions in his career.
LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (25)– This one is an asterisk as Owusu-Koramoah sustained a career-threatening neck injury. No news has been given on JOK status, but it doesn’t look good at the moment. All you can hope is he has a healthy life outside of football. However, JOK was on his way to entering the elite category this season.
Good
WR Jerry Jeudy (26) – Jeudy emerged as WR1 where he experienced some of his best games including 235 yards in his return to Denver. After Amari Cooper was traded, Jeudy got more opportunities especially when Jameis Winston was starting getting him the ball. I would like to see Jeudy continue to build on this past season and make the jump into the very good category with a quarterback that can get him the ball.
TE David Njoku (28) – An injury-riddle season hampered Chief’s season, but he flashed some familiar moments. Njoku still drops routine passes at times but is a playmaker who can make a difference. Like Jeudy, I would like to see Njoku build on his past two seasons which could be contingent on getting a quarterback.
Average
OT Jack Conklin (31) – Conklin’s comeback has been commendable after the gruesome knee injuries he’s sustained. Although not at the all-pro level, Conklin has provided stability at the right tackle position where Dawand Jones got injured. Conklin and Jones should battle it out and the best player wins the job.
LB Jordan Hicks (32) – Hicks has brought leadership to the defense that’s regressed this season. He’s third in the team in tackles and has been solid against the run. It’s possible he may not be back and could join a contender. With the uncertainty of JOK, losing Hicks would be a major blow to the defense.
S Grant Delpit (26) – Delpit appears to have regressed in the second year under Jim Schwartz’s defense. I predicted he would be a dark horse candidate for an All-Pro spot as he’s talented. He leads the team in tackles. However, the production and playmaking have not been there and it seems like he’s checked out this season. He needs a strong 2025 season or it could be his last in Cleveland.
RB Jerome Ford (26) – Ford has shown he can hit the big play ability, at times, with runs where he makes one move and goes with some receiving skills out of the backfield. The issue with Ford is he has poor vision where he cannot identify holes and tends to bounce outside too often. He’s not a bellcow back but can play a complementary role in a platooned backfield and contribute.
DE Isaiah McGuire (24) – McGuire has been elite as a run defender in the time he’s been on the field with a 90.0 PFF rating. He isn’t a gifted pass rusher but improved each season. The Browns need a guy to emerge opposite of Myles Garrett to apply pressure. With a strong offseason, could McGuire be that guy?
Players who need to take the next step
OT Dawand Jones (24) – Jones is talented, but conditioning has been a problem. This offseason is crucial for him to establish himself as a starter at tackle. If healthy, do you put him back at left tackle?
WR Cedric Tillman (25) – Tillman had a nice three-game stretch where he showed explosiveness vertically before a concussion ended his season. Although not a natural burner, Tillman can be physical at the point of attack and win 50/50 balls. The potential is there, but he needs to continue growing in learning the offense, becoming a better route runner, and not having drops in key moments.
CB Greg Newsome (25) – Newsome has had the worst year of his career this year with getting beat in man coverage. In his first three seasons, he’s shown ability in the slot matching up with agile receivers well as opposed to being on the outside on an island against bigger, physical receivers. In a contract year, he needs to show if he can be a starting corner.
CB Martin Emerson (24) – Similar to Newsome, Emerson endured his worst season giving up big games against receivers (i.e. Malik Nabers). He doesn’t have the recovery speed when getting beat and it appears he lost confidence as the season progressed. The Browns will have to decide in 2026 on Newsome or Emerson so whichever one plays does not play well will be gone.
DT Michael Hall Jr. (22) – Hall, who was suspended at the beginning of the season, showed some pass-rush ability in the time he was on the field. Known as a pass rusher, Hall performed better against the run which is encouraging as he’s 285 pounds. Injuries started to take a toll on him as the season went on. Hall will be expected to start next season as he’s the only viable defensive tackle on the roster. He needs to stay out of trouble and prepare for a bigger role in 2025.
DE Alex Wright (25) – A torn triceps ended Wright’s season in Week Three. Wright showed the ability to rush the passer in 2023 in spot duty with five sacks. As stated above, for Isaiah McGuire, the Browns need a guy to emerge opposite of Myles Garrett. Wright or McGuire may battle it out for that spot.
OG Zak Zinter (24) – Zinter played four games and had struggles with identifying stunts and adjusting to the strength of defensive tackles. Wyatt Teller is 31 and could be in his last season in 2025. Zinter must be ready if injuries happen again to the offensive line as a cost-effective option moving forward.
Veterans at the end of their careers
OG Joel Bitonio (33) – This could be the end for Bitonio. As the longest-tenured Brown, Bitonio has battled injuries the past two seasons and endured the dysfunction of the organization again. He’s lost a step with athleticism but still has done a solid job in run blocking but struggled in pass protection.
OG Wyatt Teller (31) – Teller has had a rough season dealing with injuries and not performing well. It appears he’s lost some athleticism as well and next season could be his last in the Browns uniform. Zak Zinter is the future at right guard.
K Dustin Hopkins (35) – Hopkins has fallen off a cliff this year missing easy field goals and extra points. I’m not sure how he’ll bounce back after missing those field goals.
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