Cleveland Browns depth chart predictions after NFL rosters cut to 53 players

BEREA — The Browns are down to their initial 53-man roster .

How long does it stay their 53-man roster ? That's a question only general manager Andrew Berry can really answer.

It's almost a certainty that the 53-man roster the Browns currently have won't be the one they have on Sept. 8 when they open the regular season against the Dallas Cowboys. There are still moves that will be made to add or subtract from some of the position groups as they continue to fine-tune how they want them to look when the season begins.

For now, though, the current 53-man roster is the only roster for the Browns. That's the one broken down below, with analysis of how those positions stack up in a depth chart way.

So, at least until the next round of moves changes this roster up, here's a breakdown of the Browns by position:

Cleveland Browns 53-man roster

(R — indicated rookie)

Browns quarterbacks (4)

• Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, Tyler Huntley

Watson holds the keys to the whole season. Going into his third season with the Browns, he's started a total of 12 games because of suspension and injuries. This time, he's coming off the shoulder surgery which ended his season a year ago in Week 10. Watson's first game action since then will come in the opener against the Cowboys. Winston was brought in during free agency to give him a veteran backup, something that wasn't the case a year ago until Joe Flacco was signed in November. Thompson-Robinson, the second-year pro, took big strides this preseason from a year ago when he was forced to start three games due to Watson's injuries. That leaves Huntley, the former Baltimore Ravens backup, who had a solid preseason but remains Option No. 1 to be either traded or, potentially, cut, at some point before the opener.

Browns running backs (2)

• Jerome Ford, Pierre Strong Jr.

This group looks a lot better when Nick Chubb isn't on the physically unable to perform list continuing his knee rehab, as will be the case for at least the first four weeks of the regular season. The same for Nyheim Hines, who's coming back from a knee injury and will start on the non-football injury list. So that leaves, for now, just Ford and Strong, who were part of a three-headed running back rotation — the now-departed Kareem Hunt being the third — the Browns relied on last year after Chubb's injury.

Browns wide receivers (6)

• Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, Jamari Thrash (R), David Bell

Cooper has been one of the best wide receivers in the league over his first nine seasons. The Browns are banking on a change of scenery — and some good health luck — to help Jeudy play like the former first-round pick he was for the Denver Broncos. Moore has been up and down production-wise since being acquired from the New York Jets in March, 2023. Tillman was a rookie who showed potential a year ago who the Browns need to take a step up in his second seasons.

Browns tight ends (2)

• David Njoku, Jordan Akins

Njoku will be tasked to essentially be the No. 2 option in the passing game. Fresh off a career season, he's rising up the list of tight ends in the league. Akins brings a dependable backup who's played with Watson previously with the Houston Texans.

Browns offensive linemen (10)

• TACKLES: Jedrick Wills Jr., Jack Conklin, Dawand Jones, James Hudson III
• CENTERS: Ethan Pocic, Nick Harris
• GUARDS: Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Zak Zinter (R), Javion Cohen (R)

Wills and Conklin spent all of training camp recovering from knee injuries sustained last season. When healthy, they're likely the bookends of the line. However, Conklin could slide over to the left side if Wills isn't ready to go in the opener while Jones, who filled in admirably as a rookie last year for Conklin, plays right tackle. Pocic has been steady at center, while Harris was brought back more than a week ago to Cleveland after originally signing with the Seattle Seahawks in free agency. Bitonio and Teller are, arguably, as good a guard tandem in the NFL. They're backed up by two rookies, for now, with the third-round pick Zinter and the undrafted free agent Cohen.

Browns defensive linemen (9)

• DEFENSIVE ENDS: Myles Garrett, Za'Darius Smith, Ogbo Okoronkwo, Alex Wright, Isaiah McGuire
• DEFENSIVE TACKLES: Dalvin Tomlinson, Maurice Hurst II, Quinton Jefferson, Shelby Harris

Garrett may be the best edge rusher in the league, and is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year. The Browns are banking on the veteran Smith to regain something close to his previous Pro Bowl level in his second year in Cleveland, while Okoronkwo could be a breakout candidate after signing with the team last season. Wright's hoping his third year in the league is the one where he truly takes a big step up. McGuire, meanwhile, remains a young work in progress in his second season. Tomlinson, Harris and Hurst all have battled injuries in training camp, but have the trust of the coaching staff. Jefferson was added in free agency to provide an interior pass rusher. Missing from this group for now is second-round pick Mike Hall Jr., who's currently on the Commissioner's Exempt list after a domestic violence arrest earlier this month.

Browns linebackers (6)

• Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Jordan Hicks, Tony Fields II, Devin Bush, Mohamoud Diabate, Nathaniel Watson (R)

Owusu-Koramoah signed an extension with the Browns this month after a breakthrough 2023 season. Hicks, who was hurt for most of training camp, was brought in to provide a veteran presence. Bush was a former first-round pick who's trying to get his career back on track. Fields has been one of the Browns' top special teams players the last couple of seasons. Diabate and Watson are young but promising players.

Browns defensive backs (11)

• CORNERBACKS: Denzel Ward, Martin Emerson Jr., Greg Newsome II, Cameron Mitchell, Kahlef Hailassie, Myles Harden (R)
• SAFETIES : Grant Delpit, Juan Thornhill, Rodney McLeod, D'Anthony Bell, Ronnie Hickman

Ward, Emerson and Newsome — when healthy — may be as good a cornerback trio as there is in the league. Mitchell can spell Newsome in the slot, while Hailassie and Harden are young players who have popped. Delpit has come into his own the last year and a half, while the Thornhill won two Super Bowls with the Kansas City Chiefs but battled a nagging calf injury last year after signing with the Browns. McLeod is the veteran presence in the secondary as he goes into his final season. Bell, who dealt with a shin injury all training camp, and Hickman showed promise when pressed into heavy action late last season.

Browns specialists (3)

• KICKER: Dustin Hopkins
• PUNTER: Corey Bojorquez
• LONG SNAPPER: Charley Hughlett

The Browns have confidence that whatever the minor injury Hopkins dealt with in the preseason has passed. Now they're hoping to see him replicate his borderline Pro Bowl season from a year ago. Bojorquez has been solid in his two previous seasons in Cleveland. Hughlett's the consummate pro, but has dealt with a nagging injury all preseason.

Cleveland Browns players on injury/Commissioner's Exempt lists

Reserve/non-football injury (2):

G Michael Dunn (designated for return), RB Nyheim Hines

Reserve/physically unable to perform list (1):

RB Nick Chubb

Reserve/injured (1):

C Luke Wypler

Exempt/Commissioner permission (1):

DT Michael Hall Jr.

Cleveland Browns 2024 regular-season schedule

• Sunday, Sept. 8: Home vs. Dallas Cowboys, 4:25 p.m., FOX
• Sunday, Sept. 15: At Jacksonville Jaguars, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Sept. 22: Home vs. New York Giants, 1 p.m., FOX
• Sunday, Sept. 29: At Las Vegas Raiders, 4:25 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Oct. 6: At Washington Commanders, 1 p.m., FOX
• Sunday, Oct. 13: At Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m., FOX
• Sunday, Oct. 20: Home vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Oct. 27: Home vs. Baltimore Ravens, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Nov. 3: Home vs. Los Angeles Chargers, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Nov. 10: BYE WEEK
• Sunday, Nov. 17: At New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., FOX
• Thursday, Nov. 21: Home vs. Pittsburgh Steelers, 8:20 p.m., Amazon Prime
• Monday, Dec. 2: At Denver Broncos, 8:20 p.m., ESPN
• Sunday, Dec. 8: At Pittsburgh Steelers, 1 p.m., CBS
• Sunday, Dec. 15: Home vs. Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., CBS
• Thursday, Dec. 19: At Cincinnati Bengals, 8:15 p.m., Amazon Prime
• Sunday, Dec. 29: Home vs. Miami Dolphins, 8:20 p.m., NBC
• Saturday, Jan. 4 OR Sunday, Jan. 5: At Baltimore Ravens, TBA, TV TBA

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cleveland Browns depth chart predictions after NFL rosters cut to 53 players