Browns: My Personal 53-man Roster Prediction

With the preseason coming to a close, these are the 53(ish) players that I expect to remain with the 2025 Cleveland Browns through cutdowns

The Cleveland Browns are set to wrap up their preseason tomorrow with a Saturday matchup against the L.A. Rams. The deadline to trim roster the roster down to 53 players will come shortly after on Tuesday August 26th, so I wanted to get my thoughts down now for how the 53-man roster might shape up. The Browns are expected to give their starters quite a bit of run, so I may revise with updates if I feel like there has been a notable shift in the pecking order.

I suppose you could call this is my second 53-man projection. Before training camp began, I shared the output of a model that I created to predict 53-man rosters for every team. I did a deep dive into the model’s predictions for the Browns and gave some commentary on where I thought the model was right and where I thought it might be missing some context.

Below, you can see how my model handicapped the roster as of July 14th, a little more than a week before veterans reported. Overall, I think the modeled predictions aged well.

The model outputs provide something of a depth chart for the start of training camp. We can see another more recent depth chart of sorts by looking at when players entered either of the Browns two preseason matchups:

Note: I’m going to name 55 players as my assumption is that Deshaun Watson & Quinshon Judkins will not count against the 53-man roster limit to start the season.

Quarterbacks (5)

Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson*

I’ve been steadfast throughout the offseason that I didn’t think any of these players (aside from possibly Sanders if his preseason went very poorly) were reasonable cuts. That being said, NFL teams simply do not keep this many healthy QBs on their roster for very long once games start. Pickett has always stood out to me as the best candidate to move, especially now since we know he won’t be starting in Week 1. Eventually, expect to see a late round pick swap that sends Pickett somewhere where he can be a backup. If that doesn’t come to pass by the roster deadline, expect to see him on the roster.

Running Backs (4)

Jerome Ford, Quinshon Judkins*, Dylan Sampson, Pierre Strong

When I revealed my modeled roster projections for the Browns, I noted that I felt Pierre Strong’s chances of making the roster were overstated. While I disagreed with my model at the time, Strong’s chances now look pretty decent with Judkins outlook cloudy. Ford should be the primary running back to begin the year, but one of the two rookies could overtake him at some point.

Wide Receivers (6)

Jerry Jeudy, Cedric Tillman, DeAndre Carter, Jamari Thrash, Isaiah Bond, Diontae Johnson

I see Johnson as very much on the bubble, but likely ahead of Kaden Davis and Gage Larvadian who should both clear waivers and possibly join the practice squad right away. Without much action in the preseason, it is difficult to project how much Carter might contribute at receiver although his value as a return man locks his roster spot in. Bond’s full guarantee on his UDFA contract make him a lock no matter how the preseason finale shakes out.

Tight End (3)

David Njoku, Harold Fannin, Blake Whiteheart

My model had Whiteheart & Brendan Bates both right on the bubble before training camp and it seems as though they’ve been close since that point. I’d give a slight edge to Whiteheart, but could see the third TE spot going to Bates. 55% of teams since 2013 have gone with three tight ends on their initial 53, so look for that to be the number, although it should be noted that the 2024 Browns were among the 8% of teams to only carry two TEs to final cuts. I think they’ll ultimately pivot to more heavy personnel in 2025, opening up a spot for a blocking tight end.

Offensive Tackle (4)

Dawand Jones, Jack Conklin, Cornelius Lucas, Jackson Barton

Barton has experience at both tackle spots and has seen extensive run in the preseason. I think he’s right on the bubble for the last spot on the offensive line.

Interior Offensive Line (6)

Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, Joel Bitonio, Teven Jenkins, Zak Zinter, Luke Wypler

No surprises among the top five in this group. I would say it is a toss up between the team keeping nine or ten offensive linemen, where Wypler is more likely to make final cut than Jackson. At 24, Wypler still has plenty of time to develop after losing all of his second season to injury.

Interior Defensive Line (5)

Maliek Collins, Mason Graham, Mike Hall, Shelby Harris, Sam Kamara

Kamara could be in some danger of being excluded here. Earlier this week, the Browns moved up a round in the 2026 draft when they sent Jowon Briggs to the Jets. I think it was a solid move as I’m not sure he was going to make the roster even with Hall potentially not being healthy enough to start the season. Undrafted rookie Adin Huntington is probably on the outside looking in, but he’s a good bet to land on the practice squad.

Edge (5)

Myles Garrett, Isaiah McGuire, Alex Wright, Joe Tryon, Cameron Thomas

I was surprised to see Tryon not only active in each of the first two preseason games, but playing behind both McGuire and Wright. His roster spot is safe nonetheless. Cameron Thomas has played ahead of Julian Okwara thus far in the preseason, so he is probably next in line if the Browns go with five edges. For me, Thomas is the first player on the chopping block if Deshaun Watson or Judkins end up counting against the 53.

Linebacker (5)

Carson Schwesinger, Mohamoud Diabate, Devin Bush, Jerome Baker, Winston Reid

This group has been a moving target all offseason. Even after Jeramiah Owusu-Koramoah was ruled out for the year, presumed starter Jordan Hicks unexpectedly announced his retirement. Mohamoud Diabate hasn’t practiced for a few weeks and Devin Bush may still have some fallout from a March arrest coming (though both roster spots should be plenty safe). On top of that, the Browns lost Nathanial Watson for the season on Wednesday, who I thought was likely to make the roster, and now have Winston Reid dealing with a back injury. Despite all of this, the team has only recently added any new linebackers to the fold. It wouldn’t shock me if Mascaras-Arnold works his way onto the Week 1 roster, even if it’s just as a practice squad elevation. The Browns have always carried more linebackers than the league average, even among 4-3 base defenses.

Safety (4)

Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, Rayshawn Jenkins, Damontae Kazee

Safety has always felt like the most obvious position group to me. Delpit is a locked in starter and the offseason moves tended to point to Hickman as a likely starter opposite him, although it should be noted that Hickman has played in both preseason games while other starters rested. The two post-draft veteran additions round things out. Would expect at least one of Donovan McMillon or Chris Edmonds to make the practice squad and eventually land on the active roster once injuries set in.

Cornerback (5)

Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome, Cameron Mitchell, Myles Harden, Tony Brown

The season-ending injury to Martin Emerson likely changed the calculus for this unit in a big way. Greg Newsome is playing out his fully guaranteed 5th-year option of $13.3m in 2025, which I would say is a good deal higher than his market value. I would have thought he’d be a legitimate trade candidate in the next week based on the number of players with slot experience on the roster. I’m not as confident now that they’d be willing part with Newsome. I feel reasonably confident Mitchell makes the cut, less so about Harden, and I think Brown is in a coin flip situation with Chigozie Anusiem. Would not surprise me at all if this is a position where the Browns do some shuffling between now the season opener.

Specialists (3)

Dustin Hopkins (K), Corey Bojorquez (P), Rex Sunahara (LS)

I think Hopkins probably beats out Andre Szmyt, although Szmyt may once again hit the practice squad to keep the pressure on. At long snapper, Sunahara started and finished the preseason opener with Brent Matiscik spelling him mid-game. Matiscik played the full second game. Wouldn’t be surprised by either player making the team. While still extremely rare, some teams in recent years have passed on keeping a long snapper on their initial 53 and used that extra spot elsewhere until their season opener. I don’t think the Browns need that extra spot with this roster, but it is something to be aware of with two long snappers who would not carry material deal cap if cut.

Let me know where you disagree!