Top 10 Cleveland Browns Players Going Into the 2025-26 Season

The Browns are still in a deep rebuild at the moment. The Deshaun Watson contract continues to age worse by the day, and they'll be left picking up the pieces for years to come.

I don't have high expectations for the Browns in 2025, to be honest. For those Browns fans out there, I suggest you buckle up, because it's going to be a long season.

I doubt they win more than five games this season. They're clearly the worst of the AFC North teams right now. The defense is at least solid enough to win a couple of games, but the offense is going to leave a lot to be desired.

1. Myles Garrett

   

   Myles Garrett is far and away the best player on the Browns right now. He needs no introduction: six Pro Bowls in his career, including five straight appearances, and four First Team All-Pro selections. In 2023, he was named Defensive Player of the Year. Statistically, he has continued to excel and has been among the NFL's elite pass rushers for years.

   He could very well end up Canton bound when it's all said and done. He had 14 sacks in 2024, which ranked second in the league, along with 28 quarterback hits and 22 tackles for loss. Garrett has proven to be a truly dominant and disruptive force. The Browns recently signed him to an albatross contract extension, which keeps him in Cleveland for years to come. For very good reason, he's getting paid handsomely to stay. It's quite clear he's a generational talent.

2. Jerry Jeudy

   

   After a relatively unimpressive stint in Denver, Jerry Jeudy has finally emerged as a true Wide Receiver 1 for the Browns. He's a good route runner and has strong playmaking abilities. He had by far the best season of his career, with career highs in receptions (90) and receiving yards (1,229), along with 4 touchdowns. He also made his first Pro Bowl.

   He led the Browns in receiving yards and had the sixth-most receiving yards across the league. Expect him to get the majority of targets on offense as the primary wide receiver on the team. I do question the wide receiver depth behind him, though.

3. Denzel Ward

   

   Denzel Ward is a decent cornerback, arguably hovering right around elite status. For what it's worth, he's made four Pro Bowls in his career, including three of the last four seasons. His performance has been consistently solid for a while, and he's clearly a leader in the Browns' secondary.

   Ward led the league with 17 forced incompletions, and his 80.4 PFF coverage grade in man and zone-match coverage was the best in the NFL. He deserves more respect on his name. His 2024 season was elite, yet he seems to be overshadowed by Myles Garrett.

4. Mason Graham

   

   Mason Graham should fill a hole on the Browns' defensive line for years to come. He also gets to pair up with Myles Garrett. He was one of the most productive and disruptive defensive tackles in the nation as a Wolverine.

   Graham was First Team All-Big Ten twice, named a unanimous All-American in 2024, and won a National Championship in 2023. He was one of the most talented defensive prospects in this draft class. He should be a good pick for the Browns and hopefully a key contributor for the defense for years to come.

5. Joe Flacco

   

   Joseph Vincent Flacco (born January 16, 1985) is an American professional football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Delaware and was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Flacco is best known for leading the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl... read more

   If I'm being honest, Joe Flacco is the best option the Browns have at quarterback right now. Sure, he's old and his age may have caught up to him, but he's basically old reliable. He struggled to win games in Indy, but statistically, he had his best season since 2019.

   He did take 18 sacks and throw 7 interceptions, but he also had 1,761 yards and 12 touchdowns. He's not too far removed from leading the Browns to the playoffs. Joe Flacco is a good, not great, quarterback. He's obviously not the long-term starter, but he's the best the Browns have right now. It's not like Deshaun Watson is playable right now, and everyone else is too inexperienced. If the Browns are smart, they'll play Flacco until proven otherwise.

6. Ethan Pocic

   

   Ethan Pocic is a bit of a wild card choice here, but to be fair, he's a generally good, reliable veteran center. He's ranked as a top-15 center according to PFF.

   He's been solid for a while now. He's an efficient and effective pass protector and a good run blocker. Pocic has really emerged as a veteran leader who brings stability to the Browns' offensive line.

7. David Njoku

   

   I feel like David Njoku is underrated to an extent. He's good, but he's never really developed into anything more than just solid. He's a capable blocker and pass catcher, and I'd still say he's reliable and starting caliber for sure.

   He finally had his breakout season in 2023. His 2024 season was cut slightly short, but he still had a respectable 505 yards and 5 touchdowns in 11 games played. He would've been on pace to beat his 2023 statistics had he played the whole season. Njoku is still one of the most reliable targets the Browns have right now.

8. Grant Delpit

   

   Grant Delpit is overall a good safety. Delpit doesn't have the awards to show it, though. He's starting caliber at the bare minimum. To be fair, he's had to deal with his fair share of injuries throughout his career.

   Last season, he had 111 tackles, 68 solo tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 5 quarterback hits. He is very versatile and can be disruptive at times. The Browns need him to step up in 2025 and be an integral factor for their defense.

9. Jerome Ford

   

   Jerome Ford has shown some promise with Nick Chubb being absent due to injury. Ford has been overall solid, but he's always been seen as backup running back material up to this point. Now, he has the opportunity to get a majority of the carries this season with no Nick Chubb anymore.

   While he's certainly not a Nick Chubb by any means, he's proven himself as serviceable. He'll probably split carries with Judkins, if I had to guess. Ford will almost certainly get the majority of the workload early just because he has NFL experience. In the limited time he played in 2024, he still had 565 yards and 3 touchdowns. He did lead the Browns in rushing yards last year.

10. Quinshon Judkins

    

    I think Quinshon Judkins is an interesting prospect. He may not have received the same hype as some other top prospects, but he's still respectable in his own right. He's been consistently productive, finishing with at least 1,000 yards and 14 touchdowns in each of his three college seasons.

    He has great size and strength, as well as the speed to make explosive plays. He can become a red zone threat, and he also has decent hands to catch passes out of the backfield. Considering the running back room is weakened by the absence of Nick Chubb, it should create some opportunities for Judkins to take advantage of in his rookie season.