As a lead-up to the 2025 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 2025 NFL Draft Hub.
Cleveland Browns Needs: Top Positions of Need in 2025
- Quarterback
- Edge Rusher
- Running Back
What Picks Do the Cleveland Browns Have in 2025?
The Cleveland Browns have 10 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, including:
- Round 1 (2)
- Round 2 (33)
- Round 3 (67)
- Round 3 (94)
- Round 4 (104)
- Round 6 (179)
- Round 6 (192)
- Round 6 (200)
- Round 6 (216)
- Round 7 (255)
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Cleveland Browns 2025 Draft Capital Stats
The Browns have the most draft capital according to our Sharp Football Draft Value.
Our Sharp Football Draft Value is a valuation of draft capital based on a combination of average performance delivered and average dollars earned on second contracts.
Cleveland Browns Draft Value vs. Other Teams:
The Browns’ draft value is 41% higher than the league average of all 32 teams.
Cleveland Browns Draft Prediction:
Find out who our top-rated experts expect the Browns to draft:
- Brendan Donahue's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #2 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
- Ryan McCrystal's 2025 NFL Mock Draft – Complete first round breakdown from the #8 most accurate mock drafter over the last five seasons.
Cleveland Browns Strength of Schedule, 2025
The Cleveland Browns have the 31st-easiest NFL strength of schedule for the 2025 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 2025 NFL Draft.
Quarterback Depth Chart, Browns:
- Joe Flacco
- Kenny Pickett
- Deshaun Watson
Through injuries and excuses, Deshaun Watson's experience in Cleveland (and maybe the NFL) is finally nearing an end.
Out of 46 quarterbacks to have 100 or more dropbacks last season, Watson was 45th in EPA per dropback (-0.25), ahead of only Dorian Thompson-Robinson (-0.46).
He took a league-high 13.3% sack rate with only 22.7% of his throws resulting in a first down or touchdown (once again ahead of only Thompson-Robinson).
Watson will turn 30 this September without any viable production in the NFL since 2020.
On top of that, Watson tore his Achilles on October 20 last season.
He missed the final eight games of the year, but we aren’t done there.
Watson then re-ruptured that injury, requiring a second surgery in January.
Two years remain on Watson’s contract, but by restructuring the contract again this offseason, the Browns have created void years once that expires after 2026.
With Watson expected to miss most (if not all) of the 2025 season, the team appears to be prepared to treat him as a sunk cost and move in a different direction.
Cleveland has had fleeting success with veterans Joe Flacco and Jameis Winston in the past two seasons to showcase that this team can compete when they receive competent quarterback play.
However, they have not been aggressive in the veteran quarterback market this offseason.
They have traded Thompson-Robinson to the Eagles for Kenny Pickett.
Pickett is on his third team since being drafted.
Cleveland can pick up his fifth-year option before May 1st, but that is unlikely.
As things appear today, Pickett is in place to at least compete for a shot to play in 2025, but the long-term solution at the position is not currently on the roster.
The team also brought back Flacco on a one-year contract.
Flacco's deal is worth up to $13 million with incentives, but at face value it is only a $4 million deal.
Flacco just turned 40 in January.
He made six starts with the Colts last season, throwing 12 touchdowns with 7 interceptions.
With the Browns in 2023, Flacco was 4-1 in the regular season, throwing 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.
Even if the Browns do not use the No. 2 overall pick on a quarterback, expect an addition.
Running Back Depth Chart, Browns:
- Jerome Ford
- Pierre Strong
- Troy Hairston (FB)
Once a hallmark of this offense, the Cleveland offense struggled to run the ball again in 2024.
In 2024, Cleveland running backs ranked:
- 28th in the NFL in EPA per rush (-0.14)
- 28th in success rate (34.4%)
- 30th in rate of runs for 10 or more yards (7.5%)
- 29th in rate of runs that failed to gain yards (21.4%)
- 28th in rate of runs to generate a first down or touchdown (19.1%)
They only have two running backs on the roster, neither of whom is signed beyond the 2025 season.
Jerome Ford has had opportunities to be the lead back in the past two seasons, but he has not been a consistent runner.
He can generate big plays but has been an all-or-nothing rusher.
Over the past two seasons, Ford has a run of 10 or more yards on 11.4% of his runs (23rd among backs with 100 or more runs) but also 65th in rate of runs that fail to gain yards (25.6%).
Last season, he improved in a complementary role.
After a 28.9% success rate with 16.2% of his runs resulting in a first down or touchdown in 2023, Ford posted a 38.5% success rate with a 24% rate of his runs achieving a first down or score last year.
He went from a 27.5% stuff rate to 21.2% last season.
The downside is that the success rate ranked 24th while the stuff rate ranked 35th.
Pierre Strong is in the final season of his contract. He has logged only 68 and 40 touches with Cleveland in the past two seasons.
It has not been Andrew Berry’s style to use high-end draft picks at low-leverage positions, but Cleveland has a smattering of picks after their first two that could be used on a running back (or two) in this draft.
Wide Receiver Depth Chart, Browns:
- Jerry Jeudy
- Cedric Tillman
- David Bell
- Jamari Thrash
- Mike Woods
After underperforming expectations on his rookie contract in Denver, the Browns aggressively traded for Jerry Jeudy, inking him to a sizeable extension before he played a down with the team.
Jeudy then posted career highs in targets (145), receptions (90), and receiving yards (1,229) to go along with 4 touchdowns.
From Week 8 until the end of the season, Jeudy averaged 7.0 receptions (6th) for 100 yards per game, which was second only to Ja’Marr Chase.
Jeudy ascended not only after the team traded Amari Cooper to Buffalo but also as the primary beneficiary of Jameis Winston‘s time under center.
| QB | Tgt/Rt % | Yds/Rt | Inaccurate% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jameis Winston | 21.9% | 2.51 | 7.2% |
| Deshaun Watson | 14.9% | 1.03 | 13.9% |
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson | 22.0% | 1.03 | 11.1% |
Jeudy also received a bump to close the year with Cedric Tillman sidelined.
Tillman finally got a shot to play regular snaps after the Cooper trade, and he had a strong run of production.
Immediately after the Cooper trade, Tillman had games of 8-81-0 (12 targets), 7-99-2 (9 targets), 6-75-1 (11 targets), and 3-47-0 (8 targets).
He then suffered a season-ending concussion in Week 12 against the Steelers, missing the final six games of the year.
Tillman is under contract for the next two seasons.
This depth chart is thin after Jeudy and Tillman.
Elijah Moore was second on the team with 102 targets.
The only other receiver signed beyond this season is Jamari Thrash.
Thrash was selected in the fifth round last season (pick 156th overall) and only had 3 receptions for 22 yards as a rookie.
Cleveland should be expected to add more to this receiving room via the draft and the remaining veteran market.
Tight End Depth Chart, Browns:
- David Njoku
- Tre McKitty
- Blake Whiteheart
- Brenden Bates
David Njoku caught 64 of 97 targets for 505 yards and 5 touchdowns in 2024.
His 7.9 yards per catch was a career low, and his 39.2% success rate was his lowest since 2019.
Not only did Njoku deal with the shuffling quarterback situation, but he also had an injury-plagued 2024.
He suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 that cost him three games.
He then suffered a hamstring injury that caused him to miss Week 15 before inevitably being shut down for the year's final two games.
Despite the limited efficiency, Njoku still commanded plenty of volume on the field.
Njoku was still third among all tight ends in targets per game (8.8), third in catches per game (6.8), and eighth in yards per game (45.9).
Njoku is slated to become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Cleveland currently has nothing lined up behind him regarding pass-catching ability, leaving the door open for the team to add a young player to the depth chart.
Offensive Line Depth Chart, Browns:
LT: Dawand Jones, Lorenzo Thompson, Julian Pearl
LG: Joel Bitonio, Javion Cohen, Brady Latham
C: Ethan Pocic, Luke Wypler
RG: Wyatt Teller, Zak Zinter
RT: Jack Conklin, Cornelius Lucas, Roy Mbaeteka
The Cleveland offensive line had a wide range of results in 2024.
They ranked 10th in ESPN’s pass block win rate (65%) and 14th in run block win rate (72%).
But at Pro Football Focus, they were 27th in collective pass blocking grade while ranking 30th in run blocking grade.
Deshaun Watson had a 13.3% sack rate, but Jameis Winston (7.5%) and Dorian Thompson–Robinson (6.3%) fared better.
Injuries played a role regardless of where you fall on the success or failure of this line in 2024.
Joel Bitonio was the only offensive lineman to play in all 17 games.
Core pieces Wyatt Teller (13 games) and Jack Conklin (12 games) each missed multiple games.
Left Tackle was a nightmare spot for the team.
Germain Ifedi (524 snaps), Jedrick Wills Jr. (245), James Hudson (207), and Dawand Jones (176) all logged time there.
Those players combined to allow 11 sacks and 76 pressures.
Jones and newly signed Cornelius Lucas are expected to compete for that job in 2025.
Lucas is a veteran swing tackle who ranked 23rd in pass blocking grade among tackles at Pro Football Focus in 2024.
His 4.4% pressure rate allowed last season was better than every Cleveland tackle, including Conklin.
Although the core of this offensive line is still anchored by veterans, it has become old and has a contractually shortened runway.
Conklin is 31 and still has two years remaining on his contract, but Bitonio (34 years old), Teller (31), and center Ethan Pocic (30) are all set to be unrestricted free agents after the season.
Cleveland selected Zak Zinter in the third round as a potential replacement inside, but the depth here, matched with the short-term cap crunch due to the Watson contract, puts them in a spot where they should be adding backups up front as a preemptive play if they end up losing some core pieces next offseason.
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 2025 NFL Draft.
Defensive Line Depth Chart, Browns:
- Maliek Collins
- Shelby Harris
- Mike Hall Jr.
- Sam Kamara
- Jowon Briggs
- Ralph Holley
The overall rushing yards allowed did not look great for the Browns last season, but that was partly because they allowed the fifth-most rushing yards to quarterbacks.
They actually did fine against running backs, finishing ninth in yards per carry allowed on running back runs (4.1), eighth in explosive run rate allowed (11.6%), and first in stuff rate (26.2%).
Dalvin Tomlinson is no longer around, but they brought in Maliek Collins in free agency.
Collins is more of a factor as a pass rusher from inside (around an 11% pressure rate each of the last three seasons), so Shelby Harris and Mike Hall likely will need to pick up the slack against the run.
A second-round pick last year, Hall was suspended for the first five games of his rookie year and missed another four due to injury.
He suffered another injury to close the season that required surgery, but he is expected to be back for camp.
Heading into his age-34 season, Harris remains a solid option on the inside, but he is heading into the final year of his deal.
Assuming Hall is healthy and able to stay on the field this season, the Browns are probably okay here, but there are some long-term questions.
EDGE Depth Chart, Browns:
- Myles Garrett
- Alex Wright
- Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
- Ogbo Okoronkwo
- Isaiah McGuire
- Elerson Smith
- Cameron Thomas
- Marcus Haynes
Cleveland ranked first in pressure rate last season but lagged behind a bit with 41 sacks.
The biggest offseason move was the long-term extension for Myles Garrett, who at one point appeared destined to leave via trade.
Garrett led all qualified pass rushers with an 18.4% pressure rate last season and finished second with 14 sacks.
He has recorded at least 10 sacks in seven straight seasons.
With Za’Darius Smith traded midway through the 2024 season, Isaiah McGuire and Ogbo Okoronkwo are the other primary snap takers returning from last season.
Okoronkwo led that duo with 3 sacks, but McGuire created pressure more consistently.
A 2022 third-round pick, Alex Wright missed most of last season and now has just 6 sacks through three years in the league. He is heading into the final year of his rookie deal.
Cleveland took a flier on former Tampa first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka in free agency, but he never established himself over his four seasons with the Bucs.
Even with Garrett atop this depth chart, this is a spot Cleveland could use some help.
Linebacker Depth Chart, Browns:
- Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
- Jordan Hicks
- Jerome Baker
- Devin Bush
- Mohamoud Diabate
- Winston Reid
- Nathaniel Watson
The status of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is the biggest question in this linebacker group.
He suffered a season-ending neck injury midway through last season, and it remains to be seen when or if he will return, though GM Andrew Berry recently had a good update on the linebacker’s progress.
JOK's return would solidify a group that brought back Devin Bush and signed Jerome Baker away from the Titans in free agency.
Traded midway through the year, Baker is not coming off his best season, but he has been a solid starter in the league.
Jordan Hicks ranked 13th in stuff rate among qualified linebackers last season.
Both are good options, but there is some long-term concern with both entering a contract year.
The Browns are likely fine here, regardless, but this position group could be a strength if Owusu-Koramoah returns healthy.
Cornerback Depth Chart, Browns:
- Denzel Ward
- Greg Newsome
- Martin Emerson Jr.
- Cameron Mitchell
- Myles Harden
- Tony Brown II
- Chigozie Anusiem
- Anthony Kendall
Arguably the top pass defense in 2023, the Browns struggled to stop opposing offenses last season, finishing 26th in yards per attempt allowed (7.6) despite the outstanding pressure rate cited above.
They specifically struggled to prevent big plays, ranking 30th in both explosive pass rate allowed and yards after the catch allowed per reception, and were dead last with just 4 interceptions.
The trio that led the corner group in snaps in each of the last two seasons is back with Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, and Martin Emerson Jr. likely to open the season in the starting lineup, barring a trade.
The big questions: Can that trio bounce back from uncharacteristically poor seasons, and can the Browns figure out what went so wrong on the back end last season?
Moreover, though, there are contract concerns with both Newsome and Emerson entering the final year of their deals.
Both to plan for the future and to protect against another down season from one or more of the starters, it makes some sense for the Browns to add some help here.
Safety Depth Chart, Browns:
- Grant Delpit
- Ronnie Hickman
- Christopher Edmonds
- Trey Dean III
Rodney McLeod Jr. retired, and the Browns moved on from Juan Thornhill this offseason.
That leaves Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman as the primary returning options on the back end.
Delpit and Hickman fit together well as a starting unit, with Delpit playing closer to the line of scrimmage and helping out in the run game.
Delpit finished fourth among qualified defensive backs in run stuffs (12) with a tackle on 15.4% of his run defense snaps (13th).
A former undrafted free agent, Hickman has earned a role over the last two years and could be given a chance to start in 2025.
That said, there is not a lot of experienced depth behind Delpit, which could prompt the Browns to make a move here.