- Head Coach: Kevin Stefanski (sixth season)
- PFF projected win total: 5.5
- 2024 Record: 3-14 (fourth in the AFC North)
Biggest strength: Defensive Line
One constant for the Browns is a dominant defensive line led by Myles Garrett. The unit ranked second in the NFL in PFF grade last season, trailing only Pittsburgh, and was the league’s only defensive line to finish top-five in both pass-rush and run-defense grades.
With Garrett, first-round pick Mason Graham and a deep supporting cast, Cleveland’s front should continue to cause problems in the trenches.
Biggest weakness: Quarterback
The Browns are in the early stages of searching for their long-term answer at quarterback. This season’s group includes 40-year-old Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. Flacco is the Week 1 starter, but given the uncertainty at the position, the rookies could see action as Cleveland looks to piece together a functional passing attack.
Quarterback spotlight: Joe Flacco
- 2024 PFF Grade: 71.6
- Key Stat: 35.1 Passing grade under pressure (38th out of 43 qualified quarterbacks)
Flacco made seven appearances for Indianapolis last season, providing stability in the wake of Anthony Richardson’s injuries and inconsistencies. While his mobility is limited — understandably so at age 40 — he remains effective when he has a clean pocket. However, his lack of improvisational ability could pose challenges in Cleveland, where the offensive line ranked just 27th in pass-blocking grade last season, a steep drop-off from the Colts’ 10th-ranked unit.
Offensive player: WR Jerry Jeudy
After being traded from Denver to Cleveland last offseason, Jerry Jeudy saw a massive uptick in usage. His 142 regular-season targets ranked seventh in the NFL, and he earned a 74.9 receiving grade — the second-best mark of his career. His season peaked with a fitting 235-yard performance against his former team in Week 13. With limited competition for targets in Cleveland’s receiving corps, Jeudy is positioned for another high-volume year as the team’s primary option.
Defensive player: EDGE Myles Garrett
Myles Garrett won’t turn 30 until December, yet he’s already established himself as one of the NFL’s all-time great edge defenders. His dominance over the past four seasons has been remarkable. Since 2021, Garrett leads all defensive players in PFF grade (95.3). That elite production continued in 2024, as he led all defenders with at least 200 pass-rush snaps in both pass-rush grade and win rate.
Rookie to watch: DI Mason Graham
Although the Browns traded out of the opportunity to draft Travis Hunter, they landed a potentially elite interior defender in Mason Graham. The former Michigan standout led all FBS defensive tackles in both overall PFF grade and run-defense grade in 2024. Over his three seasons in Ann Arbor, he was the highest-graded defensive tackle in the nation. Graham has the potential to make Cleveland’s already dominant defensive line even more formidable.
Fantasy spotlight: RB Dylan Sampson
Sampson proved to be a well-rounded back against SEC competition, showing off strong balance, footwork, vision and explosiveness — all highlighted in PFF’s draft guide. His biggest drawback is size. At 5-foot-8 and 200 pounds, he fits a rare mold; Dion Lewis is the only running back in the past decade to log over 2,000 snaps at that size.
Sampson’s clearest path to playing time in Cleveland could come as a receiving back. He posted the highest receiving grade and most yards per route run among Browns running backs, though those numbers came at the collegiate level. The biggest concern for the entire backfield remains the offensive line.
Best bet: WR Cedric Tillman — over 675.5 receiving yards (-115)
Despite uncertainty at quarterback, Cedric Tillman has a clear opportunity to carve out a meaningful role in the Browns’ offense. He averaged a 12.3-yard depth of target last season and posted a 96th-percentile contested-catch rate, showcasing his ability to win downfield. With Cleveland likely to play from behind often, Tillman could offer much-needed stability to the receiving corps.
Bottom line
Myles Garrett and the defense should keep the Browns competitive, but the team must find stability at quarterback and along the offensive line to generate enough wins for a legitimate postseason push.
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