As a lead-up to the 2024 NFL draft, we’ve broken down the current depth chart of every NFL team and identified the biggest draft and team needs for the Cleveland Browns.
You can find additional team-by-team draft needs articles and other draft content on our 2024 NFL Draft Hub.
Cleveland Browns Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2024
- Offensive Tackle
- Linebacker
- Defensive Line
What Picks Do the Cleveland Browns Have in 2024?
The Cleveland Browns have 5 picks in the 2024 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 2 (54)
- Round 3 (85)
- Round 5 (156)
- Round 6 (206)
- Round 7 (243)
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Cleveland Browns Draft Capital Stats
Our Sharp Draft Value Rank is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
This is based on two public models: performance delivered based on draft slot (the AV model created by Chase Stuart) and contractual earnings in non-rookie deals based upon draft slot (the OTC model created by Brad Spielberger and Jason Fitzgerald).
- Browns Sharp Draft Value Rank: 32 of 32 teams
- Browns AV Model Draft Value Rank: 32 of 32 teams
- Browns OTC Model Draft Value Rank: 32 of 32 teams
Cleveland Browns Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Browns’ draft value is 55% lower than the league average of all 32 teams. 31 other teams have more draft value entering the 2024 NFL Draft.
Cleveland Browns Draft Prediction:
Mock draft expert Ryan McCrystal believes the Browns could target T.J. Tampa (CB, Iowa State) with their top pick at No. 54 overall in the second round.
Cleveland Browns Strength of Schedule, 2024
The Cleveland Browns have the 3rd-hardest NFL strength of schedule for the 2024 NFL season.
Cleveland Browns Offense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Rich Hribar breaks down the offensive depth chart by position for the Cleveland Browns, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Browns:
- Deshaun Watson
- Jameis Winston
- Tyler Huntley
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson
After only appearing in six games to close the 2022 season, the Browns were looking for Deshaun Watson to regain some of his early career form with a full offseason heading into 2023.
What they ended up with was more mixed results on a small sample.
Watson only started six games, with one of those being a game in which he played 12 snaps before exiting.
Watson sustained a rotator cuff injury in Week 3 that did not allow him to return in full until Week 9.
In Week 10, he suffered a broken bone in his throwing shoulder that required surgery and sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
Watson has now made 12 starts since the 2020 season.
Outside of injuries, when he was on the field last season, Watson was still chasing his early career production.
Out of 48 quarterbacks to throw 100 or more passes last season, Watson ranked 39th of that group in EPA per dropback (-0.16) and 35th in success rate (39.3%).
On that same list, Watson ranked 38th in completion rate (61.4%), 31st in yards per pass attempt (6.5 Y/A), 24th in touchdown rate (4.1%), and 24th in interception rate (2.3%).
17.0% of Watson’s throws were inaccurate per TruMedia, by far the highest rate of his career and ahead of only Trevor Siemian (17.0%) and PJ Walker (20.7%) among those passers.
The Browns were still 4-1 in the five full games that Watson played despite the uneven output as a passer.
In Watson’s final game of the season in Week 10, Cleveland beat Baltimore 33-31 on the road in a game in which Watson completed all 14 of his passes in the second half for 9.6 yards per pass attempt.
We know that the Browns are forced to ride things out with Watson under center.
He counts just under $63.8 million against the cap this season.
He has cap hits of $64 million in 2025 and 2026. Even if the Browns do choose to eat the remainder of this contract after this season, they would still lose $72.9 million and then $8.9 million in cap space after the dead money of $136.9 million and $72.9 million on those seasons.
The Browns went out this offseason and shored up the rest of the depth chart at the position after they started Dorian Thompson-Robinson, PJ Walker, and Joe Flacco with varying results when Watson was unavailable.
The Browns did go 4-2 in Flacco’s starts, but he also sported a 3.9% interception rate in those games, which eventually cost them in the postseason.
With Flacco leaving free agency, Cleveland added Jameis Winston and Tyler Huntley to be alternatives should Watson miss time this upcoming season.
Running Back Depth Chart, Browns:
- Nick Chubb
- Jerome Ford
- Nyheim Hines
- D’Onta Foreman
- Pierre Strong
- John Kelly
- Giovanni Ricci (FB)
After 32 touches for 191 yards (6.0 yards per touch), Nick Chubb suffered a severe knee injury just 18 snaps into Week 2, which forced him to miss the remainder of the season.
Chubb then had surgery on his MCL in September.
Waiting for that injury to heal, he then had a second surgery in mid-November to repair his ACL.
That second surgery will push right against the nine-month recovery timeline by the time the start of this season hits.
Cleveland is already preparing to ease Chubb back into the lineup and wait for him to be ready to play.
If the Browns were truly going to chalk up Chubb’s 2024 season, they could have released him with zero penalties and saved $11 million against the cap for this season,
But instead, they restructured his contract for 2024 with guaranteed money in an effort for Chubb not to push himself back too soon trying to make a run at one more payday in the NFL and making things worse.
That said, the Browns still do not know if Chubb will be the same running back again or when he will be 100% back in action this season.
Chubb will be 29 this December and still a pending unrestricted free agent after the season.
The Cleveland run game all but fell apart after Chubb’s injury last season.
Non-Chubb running backs for the Browns ranked…
- 24th in the NFL in yards per rush (3.8 YPC)
- 24th in success rate (33.8%)
- 20th in explosive run rate (8.7%)
- 31st in the rate of runs that failed to gain yardage (23.9%)
With both Jerome Ford and Kareem Hunt being extremely inefficient rushers and Hunt still sitting on the open market this offseason, the Browns have added D’Onta Foreman and Nyheim Hines to the position.
Hines missed all of the 2023 season with a knee injury that he suffered in a ski accident.
Hines can play special teams and contribute on passing downs, something that kept Ford afloat last season.
Foreman can be a direct replacement for the role that Hunt had as a short-yardage rusher and push Ford for early-down snaps.
Foreman had a 41.3% success rate with the Bears last season as a runner while Ford had a 28.9% success rate as a runner, which was 45th at the position.
The team also still has Pierre Strong under contract for the next two seasons.
All of the moves that Cleveland has made this offseason signal that they are going to ride 2024 out in seeing what they have, but this is a team that could be looking for their next long-term RB1 sooner rather than later if Chubb cannot bounce back.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Browns:
- Amari Cooper
- Jerry Jeudy
- Elijah Moore
- Cedric Tillman
- David Bell
- James Proche
- Mike Woods
- Jaelon Darden
Cleveland wideouts combined to catch 178 passes (23rd) for 2,445 yards (20th) and 10 touchdowns (23rd) in 2023.
19.4% of the Cleveland throws to wide receivers last season were inaccurate per TruMedia, the highest rate in the NFL.
Amari Cooper had another solid season amidst all of the quarterback changes last year, catching 72-of-128 targets for 1,250 yards and five touchdowns over 15 games played.
Cooper averaged 17.4 yards per reception, the highest rate of his career.
His 83.3 receiving yards per game were also a career high, anchored by a 265-yard performance in Week 15.
That was Cooper’s fourth 200-yard game of his career, more than any player since he entered the league in 2015 and just one short of the record shared by Calvin Johnson and Lance Alworth.
Cooper will turn 30 this summer and is only signed for this upcoming season.
To potentially get ahead of Cooper leaving after this season while giving the team another potential weapon for the short-term to work alongside Cooper, the Browns traded for Jerry Jeudy and immediately signed him to a three-year contract that runs through the 2027 season.
Jeudy failed to live up to his first-round draft status in Denver, but he fits consistent criteria that this Cleveland regime has looked for in wide receivers, which is hyper-production at the collegiate level entering the NFL.
They did the same thing with Elijah Moore last offseason, and the draft selection of David Bell has yet to yield any results.
These are all players (including Cooper) that pop in a ton of collegiate production models.
Through four years in Denver, Jeudy has yet to hit 1,000 yards in a season, catching 11 total touchdowns over that span.
In 2023, his 3.4 receptions per game were his fewest since his rookie season while his 47.4 yards per game were the second-lowest mark of his career.
With Moore on the roster, Jeudy should play more outside receiver than he has to this point in the NFL.
Since playing 69.0% of his snaps outside as a rookie in 2020, Jeudy has since played 74.6%, 48.5%, and 54.3% of his snaps in the slot the past three seasons.
When lined up in the slot, Jeudy has averaged 1.77 yards per route run compared to 1.88 yards per route run when lined up outside.
In his first season with the Browns, Moore caught 59 passes for 640 yards and two touchdowns.
Through three seasons in the NFL, Moore’s yards per target and yards per reception have dropped from the season before it.
For what it is worth, Moore was at his best with Watson under center.
Moore caught 62.9% of his 35 targets from Watson compared to 60% from Thompson-Robinson (9-of-15), 52.2% from Walker (12-of-23), and 51.6% from Flacco (16-of-31).
Moore enters this season in the final year of his rookie contract, also set to become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
With both Cooper and Moore potentially hitting the open market after the season paired with the unknown that Jeudy will have a career spark, Cleveland still has a lot of long-term questions at wide receiver despite having enough hope to throw on the field in 2024.
Bell, Cedric Tillman, and Mike Woods are all young players locked up for multiple seasons.
Tight End Depth Chart, Browns:
- David Njoku
- Jordan Akins
- Zaire Mitchell-Paden
David Njoku finished fifth among all tight ends last season in receptions (81), sixth in receiving yards (882), and tied for second with six touchdowns.
Njoku will turn 28 this summer with two years remaining on his current contract.
While Njoku has found stable ground on his career the past two seasons, he does have wonky splits on his sample playing with Watson compared to other Cleveland quarterbacks the past two seasons.
On 311 routes run with Watson the past two seasons, Njoku is averaging 1.09 yards per route run with a target on 17.4% of his routes.
On 649 routes run with Watson off the field, Njoku is averaging 1.95 yards per route run with a target on 24.7% of his routes.
The Browns do not have a lot behind Njoku.
Losing Harrison Bryant this offseason, Cleveland only has Jordan Akins and Zaire Mitchell-Paden, each under contract for only the 2024 season.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Browns:
LT: Jedrick Wills, Hakeem Adeniji, James Hudson
LG: Joel Bitonio, Michael Dunn, Drew Forbes
C: Ethan Pocic, Dawson Deaton
RG: Wyatt Teller, Luke Wypler
RT: Jack Conklin, Dawand Jones, Justin Murray
The Cleveland offensive line was a mixed bag in 2024.
They ranked fourth in ESPN’s pass block win rate but 18th in pass blocking grade as a team per Pro Football Focus.
Cleveland was 26th in ESPN’s run block win rate metric while ranking 21st in overall run blocking grade per PFF.
Injuries were an issue last season as the most frequently used combination on the line last season was on the field for 30.8% of their offensive snaps. That ranked 22nd in the NFL.
The Browns had nine different players play over 100 snaps in pass protection last season.
No starter played in all 17 games during the regular season while every starter other than Joel Bitonio missed multiple games.
Health being a major factor in success moving forward, Cleveland still has a solid interior core of Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, and Ethan Pocic under contract for multiple seasons.
The question marks here at the tackle position.
They had six different players play snaps at either tackle spot last season.
Only James Hudson played in more than 11 games.
Cleveland has Jedrick Wills playing under the fifth-year option this season, but Wills has not found footing as an NFL starter so far.
Wills only appeared in eight games last season, but when he was available, he allowed a team-high 9.8% pressure rate.
He was 68th in overall grade among tackles last season per PFF and has yet to finish higher than 55th in grade at his position in any of his first four seasons.
Right tackle Jack Conklin was lost for the season in Week 1, suffering a torn ACL and MCL.
Conklin will be 30 this August and has now missed 30 games over his four seasons with the Browns, missing time in each of those seasons.
Conklin may not be ready to start the season. He is signed through 2026.
Cleveland has Dawand Jones to start the season at right tackle if Conklin is not ready. When Conklin can play, we could even see Jones push for snaps at left tackle should Wills continue to struggle.
Jones started nine games during his rookie season, playing the most snaps at right tackle on the team last season.
He allowed a 5.4% pressure rate, which was the lowest among all of the tackles that Cleveland used last season, and ranked 29th out of 101 tackles to play 100 snaps in protection last season.
Cleveland Browns Defense: Depth Chart, Analysis & Draft Needs
Raymond Summerlin breaks down the defensive depth chart by position for the Cleveland Browns, identifying areas where the team could improve in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
Defensive Line Depth Chart, Browns:
- Dalvin Tomlinson
- Shelby Harris
- Quinton Jefferson
- Maurice Hurst II
- Siaki Ika
- Chris Williams
- Jayden Peevy
The Browns allowed 4.4 yards per running back carry (23rd) but finished first in yards before contract allowed on RB runs in 2023.
It was likely just a schedule quirk, but Cleveland had significant home and away splits against the run.
At home, they allowed 4.0 yards per carry to running backs with 0.14 yards before contact allowed.
On the road, they allowed 4.7 yards per carry to running backs with 1.18 yards before contact allowed.
Most of the defensive line from last year is back in 2024.
Dalvin Tomlinson led the unit in snaps a season ago, finishing with 3 sacks and a solid 9.9% pressure rate.
Tomlinson’s stats against the run do not stand out (7 run stuffs in 222 run defense snaps), but he finished second among defensive tackles in ESPN’s run stop win rate.
Shelby Harris and Maurice Hurst also played significant rotational roles.
Harris contributed 1.5 sacks with a 9.5% pressure rate. Hurst also logged 1.5 sacks in just 13 games with a very good 11% pressure rate.
Neither Harris nor Hurst was asked to play a ton in the running game, but both made splash plays when given the chance.
Harris in particular logged a run stuff on 5.9% of his run defense snaps. He just missed the cut to qualify, but that rate would have ranked sixth among defensive linemen.
With Jordan Elliott leaving in free agency, the Browns brought in Quinton Jefferson from the Jets.
Jefferson has jumped around in recent seasons, but he has consistently gotten after the quarterback at every stop.
He had a 12.7% pressure rate and 6 sacks in New York last season.
A third-round pick last year, Siaki Ika did not really force his way onto the field as a rookie, and he is behind a lot of good players on the depth chart.
Still, there is the potential for a step forward from him.
This group is solid in the short term, but there are some long-term questions with both Jefferson and Hurst on one-year deals and Tomlinson and Harris both over 30.
EDGE Depth Chart, Browns:
- Myles Garrett
- Za’Darius Smith
- Ogbo Okoronkwo
- Alex Wright
- Isaiah McGuire
- Sam Kamara
- Lonnie Phelps
- Isaiah Thomas
Cleveland finished 2nd in pressure rate and logged 49 sacks (6th) last season.
As it turns out, Myles Garrett is pretty good.
He finished with 14 sacks and an 18.3% pressure rate last season.
That pressure rate ranked 4th among eligible pass rushers, and ESPN ranked Garrett 2nd in their pass rush win rate metric among edge rushers.
Garrett is under contract for three more seasons.
Za’Darius Smith did not have the same sack success, finishing with 5.5, but his 16.5% pressure rate was also near the top of the league (16th).
Smith re-signed on a two-year deal this offseason.
Alex Wright and Ogbo Okoronkwo saw the most snaps among the rest of the group last season.
A 2022 third-round pick, Wright ended up with 5 sacks but a lackluster 10% pressure rate.
Okoronkwo had 4.5 sacks and a 12.8% pressure rate, and he was also productive in the running game, logging a run stuff on an impressive 7.4% of his run defense snaps.
2023 fourth-round pick Isaiah McGuire did not force his way onto the field much as a rookie, but he is a developmental option behind the top four.
This is a very strong group.
Linebacker Depth Chart, Browns:
- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
- Jordan Hicks
- Devin Bush
- Tony Fields II
- Mohamoud Diabate
- Charlie Thomas III
- Caleb Johnson
Jeremiah Owusu–Koramoah has played well since being selected in the second round back in 2021, but he had something of a breakout season last year thanks in part to setting a career-high with 16 games played.
He was particularly productive in the running game, living in the backfield with 24 run stuffs and grabbing a tackle on 18.3% of his run defense snaps.
His 8.3% stuff rate was easily first among qualifying linebackers.
He also logged 3.5 sacks and was solid enough when dropping into coverage.
Owusu-Koramoah is heading into the final year of his deal, which does create some long-term concerns.
With Sione Takitaki and Anthony Walker Jr. leaving in free agency, the Browns brought in both Jordan Hicks and Devin Bush.
With nearly 120 starts in his career, Hicks brings a ton of veteran experience to this unit, and he still played at a high level in 13 games with the Vikings a season ago.
A former first-round pick, Bush got some run late last season with the Seahawks, but he once again was forced to settle for a one-year deal as he looks to jump-start his career.
No one stands out behind those three, and it remains to be seen how impactful Bush can be.
Especially with Owusu-Koramoah heading into a contract year, this could be a spot the Browns target in the draft.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Browns:
- Denzel Ward
- Martin Emerson Jr.
- Greg Newsome II
- Cameron Mitchell
- Justin Hardee
- Tony Brown
- Kahlef Hailassie
- Vincent Gray
The Browns allowed 5.9 yards per pass attempt (2nd) and finished top of the league in EPA per dropback.
The top four corners from that outstanding pass defense are back for 2024, and all four are under contract through at least the 2025 season assuming the Browns pick up Greg Newsome’s fifth-year option.
Denzel Ward has still yet to play a full season after being limited to 13 games last year, but he was outstanding when on the field, allowing a 77.3 passer rating in coverage.
A third-round pick in 2022, Martin Emerson built on his solid rookie season and was even better as a sophomore.
Newsome has been used throughout the formation, but he continued to primarily line up in the slot last season, once again providing solid coverage.
A fifth-round pick last year, Cameron Mitchell held his own when called upon as a rookie.
Justin Hardee was also added this offseason, but he is a special teams ace who has played a total of two snaps on defense in the last four seasons.
Cleveland looks set to run things back at corner, and that makes sense given the success they had last season.
Safety Depth Chart, Browns:
- Grant Delpit
- Juan Thornhill
- Rodney McLeod Jr.
- D’Anthony Bell
- Ronnie Hickman
The safeties certainly did their part to help the Browns’ outstanding pass defense in 2023.
Primarily playing closer to the line of scrimmage, Grant Delpit allowed a solid 6.1 yards per target and was active against the run.
Delpit finished 6th among all qualified safeties in PFF’s run stop percentage metric.
Juan Thornhill played more away from the line, limiting his impact against the run, but he was even better in coverage.
Thornhill allowed just 6.0 yards per target last season.
Both starters are under contract for multiple seasons.
Rodney McLeod was brought back as veteran depth, and both D’Anthony Bell and Ronnie Hickman showed well on limited snaps last season.
This group is set.
Pre Order the Best Analytical 2024 Football Preview
Don’t miss out on Warren Sharp’s 500+ page preview of the 2024 NFL season.
The preview is unlike anything you have ever seen, featuring stunning visualizations built with the reader in mind.
This preview shares insights into players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal in mind: to prepare you for the 2024 NFL season by delivering the smartest information in the fastest, most direct way possible.
