The belief of myself and plenty of people covering the team is that the depth of the roster is worse this year. That is a hypothesis that I wanted to explore in these two articles. What we find might challenge that belief but it might confirm it to be true.
When I am talking about depth I am going to focus on the next man up, so wide receiver four, not five and six. For rotational spots like the defensive line I will take edge three and four into account as they play meaningful minutes week in, week out. Edge five is of little interest as it a game day inactive position. This is also going to be the depth entering the season, not at the end of it. So Fannin played his way up the depth chart but Njoku was the starter for the early portion.
Rather than compare this year to the previous one which gives us a high variance, I am going to do the previous three years to this current season. At times having a young promising player as depth is a very good place to be, if that player is a late day three pick or UDFA, then it is more likely luck you found them than part of a strategic plan.
You won't read me discussing starters in this piece, yes they are important in roster building, but since I have wrote extensively on them, I wanted to explore beyond the starters.
Here was the offensive review from yesterday.
Edge Defender
Previous Depth
2023: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo & Alex Wright
2024: Ogbonnia Okoronkwo & Alex Wright
2025: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka & Isaiah McGuire
2026: Isaiah McGuire & Derek Barnett
Some people will argue that Barnett is the Alex Wright replacements but since they have been looking to add more edge help for months, I am considering him as the third/fourth edge and believe they could still be looking for a second one.
Okoronkwo was a high level pass rusher for 2023, who then faded in 2024. I don't they are anywhere near where they used to be as a team having a powerful and deep edge room. This is nothing to do with Garrett too, Verse fill that space but they need to have more to match previous years.
Conclusion - Less Rotational Depth
Defensive Tackle
Previous Depth
2023: Jordan Elliott & Siaki Ika
2024: Quinton Jefferson & Mike Hall
2025: Shelby Harris & Mike Hall
2026: Mike Hall & Kalia Davis
This room has suffered another downgrade compared to previous years. Normally they would have a third quality defensive tackle with veteran experience. Maybe they feel Mike Hall has grown into this but we haven't seen it consistently from him in the same way Shelby Harris was as a player. Both players here also have significant injury history which could mean more depth is needed.
Conclusion - Less Rotational Depth
Linebacker
Previous Depth
2023: Sione Takitaki & Mohamoud Diabate
2024: Devin Bush & Mohamoud Diabate
2025: Jerome Baker & Mohamoud Diabate
2026: Easton Mascarenas-Arnold & Winston Reid
The focus here is linebacker three and four for me, since most of the time you just have two linebackers on the field.
They have always relied on a veteran as their third linebacker, this year they are currently expected to enter week one with a linebacker with a career 12 defensive snaps to their name. It is certainly a change. Reid is a very reliable special teamer behind him, he doesn't fit their likely plan for SAM but could be a backup WILL.
Conclusion - What Depth?
Cornerback
Previous Depth
2023: Cameron Mitchell & Mike Ford
2024: Cameron Mitchell & Myles Harden
2025: Cameron Mitchell & Myles Harden
2026: Myles Bryant & Michael Coats
Looking at cornerback four and five here. Most people's frustration is with Martin Emerson not being retained but this always felt highly unlikely. Last year they had him as the second boundary cornerback and Newsome in the slot. When they made the trade it was for another boundary cornerback, that means Campbell was Emerson's replacement, rather than Newsome's. This meant Emerson needed to find a team this offseason where he could battle for a starting job, he knew he wasn't beating out Ward or Campbell. There complete lack of a starting calibre slot cornerback is a real concern but since it is a start, we aren't covering that here.
In terms of the actual depth on the roster, I would say there is actually marginal increase in quality, mainly because I felt they were too slow moving off of Mitchell. Coats can hopefully develop for them but that is certainly luck and not part of any plan to add his as a UDFA. They should be adding a day three pick at the minimum they can try and develop here as teams always need more cornerbacks.
Their past investment in three genuine starters was impressive compared to the rest of the league, but it is about time they had a backup plan on the 53 man roster as injuries always happen.
Conclusion - Lucked Into Slight Improvement But Not Good Enough
Safety
Previous Depth
2023: Rodney McLeod & D'Anthony Bell
2024: Rodney McLeod & D'Anthony Bell
2025: Rayshawn Jenkins & Damontae Kazee
2026: Emmanuel McNeil-Warren & Daniel Thomas
We are looking at safety three and four here, it feels like Browns will play more safeties this year though, which could limit the current weakness at slot cornerback.
This could realistically be viewed on the same level as the improvement at wide receiver depth. There is certainly an opinion that McNeil-Warren is the starter ahead of Ronnie Hickman but let's see that first, either way around is an impressive player as the third safety.
Rodney McLeod was a brilliant depth piece for the Browns, a reliable cheap player who could step up when needed. Rather than needing some UDFA to fill the gap when injury strikes an experienced veteran gives you quality depth.
What they have built now with three genuine talents is the chance to be great at safety and do some really exciting packages. It will be a joy to hopefully watch this unit in 2026.
Conclusion - Significant Upside Improvement
Conclusion
We had positivity yesterday with the offensive review, it certainly wasn't today on the defensive side.
As Jack Sparrow once famously said: "Why is the rum gone?", there is a reason sometimes of "Why is the depth gone?". Tanking is a strong word that people love to throw around. I don't think any team intentionally loses. Not aiming to compete, that's fair.
With the QB room they have they aren't trying to make the playoffs in 2026. But they might have tried and vets told them no. Why would they want to be on a roster with Watson and Sanders rather than be a bridge or starter elsewhere. I'm not trading a decent pick for Mac Jones etc. winning an extra three games and needing a QB in April isn't worth giving up a 2nd round pick potentially.
There are a few position rooms they appear to be favoring youth over veteran experience. That might not lead to more wins in 2026 but if it brings Cotes and some other players along it will benefit the team longer term hopefully.
If you enjoyed this article, here are some others by Jack Duffin
2026 Cleveland Browns Roster Prediction
As the offseason goes along I will update my prediction for what the roster will look like come week one.
June: Offensive Prediction - Defensive Prediction - Practice Squad
VIP: Offensive Prediction Post Bears, Defensive Prediction Post Bears
Snap Counts & Quick Takeaways
Chicago Bears (Preseason Game 1) - Buffalo Bills (Preseason Game 2)
Cleveland Browns 2027 Age Guardrails Draft Boards (OBR VIP)
The guardrails examine how Andrew Berry has operated in the past and then project this forward into the next draft class. While he could draft an older player or someone less athletic than they have ever done before, it is a solid starting point for players he is most likely to target.
June - July - August
VIP Bonus Articles
Some VIP articles just don't fit in any of the above categories so I will link them here:
Cash Spending By Position 2020 to 2030 - Breaking Down The Alex Wright Extension - 2026 Stock Up/Down Offensive Players - 2026 Stock Up/Down Defensive Players - Grant Delpit Extension Prediction - Browns 2027 Extension Candidates & Potential Contracts - What Should A Denzel Ward Extension Cost The Browns?
Bonus Articles
Some free read articles just don't fit in any of the above categories so I will link them here:
When Will Deshaun Watson Leave Cleveland - Practice Squad Rules & Cost - Browns Starters From 2016 to 2025 - Dummy Years, Watson & Who Else - How Dead Cap Helps, Not Hinders The Browns - What Has Caused The Browns Improved Drafting - What Does Logan Fano's Guarantees Mean - What The Renegotiated Dawand Jones Contract Means - JOK Insurance & Financial Impact - Financials After Trading Myles Garrett - Browns Can Trade Denzel Ward, But They Shouldn't - How Much Cash Can The Cleveland Browns Spending In 2026 & 2027 - Way Too Early 2027 Browns Roster Prediction - Realistic Deshaun Watson Extension - Revisited: Rookie Year Expectations For The 2025 Draft Picks - Rookie Year Expectations For 2026 Draft Picks (Day One, Day Two & Day Three) - Players Battling To Make the 2026 Roster (Offensive & Defensive) - Salary Cap Update Post Rookies Signing & Garrett Trade - Cleveland Browns Cash Spending Continues To Fall - Five Biggest Weaknesses Heading Into 2026 Season (1 Quarterback, 2 Offensive Line & 3 Young Roster, 4 Coverage Unit & #5 Lack Of Depth) - Deshaun Watson Insurance: What We Know & What We Don't Know - 2027 Free Agents, Who Is Playing For Their Jobs & Future - Browns 2027 Cut Candidates - Proven Performance Escalator: Browns Players Getting A Raise - When, Not If, The Browns Restructure Denzel Ward Contract - Understanding The Browns Spending Philosophy & Why It Is Sustainable - Salary Cap: What Matters, What Doesn't Really Matter - PUP Lists & Failed Physical Designation - Cleveland Browns What If..? (#1 They Lose The Final Two Games Of The 2025 Season, #2 The NFL Correctly Calls The Kansas City 2020 Playoff Game, #3 They Hire Sean McDermott Over Hue Jackson, #4 They Don't Trade For Deshaun Watson & #5 They Go Full John Dorsey) - Browns Only Gave Denzel Ward A Minor Raise, Now Official Numbers Released - Browns Week One Quarterback Odds Don't Match Training Narratives - Grant Delpit Contract Details Confirmed, Less Than Initially Reported - Browns 2026 Storyline Heading Into 2027 (Quarterbacks, Running Backs, Wide Receivers, Tight Ends, Offensive Line) - 11th March 2027, The Day Watson Gets Cut - Yes The Browns Can Cut Deshaun Watson Now, But It Will Cost Them The 2027 Season - Why The Browns Could Be The Top Landing Spot For A New Head Coach Next Year - Where Has The Browns Depth Gone (Offensive Review)