Ranking the 5 Thinnest Position Groups on Cleveland Browns' 2026 Roster

The Cleveland Browns may have upgraded their starting 22 in the offseason, but the roster still has holes that could become glaring.

The Browns backups did not perform well in the preseason and there should be cause for concern if injuries strike. Here are the Browns’ five thinnest position groups on the roster.

5. Linebacker

Defensive rookie of the year Carson Schwesinger leads the group followed by veteran Quincy Williams. Schwesinger is good enough to elevate the entire position group, but he has been injured in training camp and may need a few games to ramp up.

Williams is a solid linebacker that will be in the right place at the right time. He is entering his age 30 season and played in 13 games last year. The backups are Winston Reid and fifth-round rookie Justin Jefferson. Reid is a third year player with 23 career tackles and Jefferson will be used more on special teams.

4. Cornerback

The Browns’ first two corners, Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell, are probably the best position duo on the squad. However, there is a steep drop off after that. The high end of the position group did not outweigh the low end should Ward or Campbell get injured or even take one series off.

Myles Harden is tasked with starting at the slot cornerback. He has been with the Browns and was an okay backup cornerback. The other cornerbacks include Noah Igbinoghene, Mekhi Blackmon, and Toriano Pride Jr. All three of those cornerbacks were not with the Browns in training camp and were picked up on waivers after being cut by their respective teams. Most teams do not have six great cornerbacks, but should a starter get hurt or need a series or two off, then it could be a field day for the opposing offense.

3. Defensive Line

The Browns starting defensive line can be solid in Mason Graham, Jared Verse, Maleik Collins, and Isaiah McGuire. However, they have not been healthy. Graham missed some of training camp with an injury and Collins is coming off a season-ending injury.

Projected starter Alex Wright went down for the season in a joint practice. The backups, Mike Hall Jr., Adin Huntington, Derek Barnett, and Sam Williams will get plenty of playing time due to the amount of substitutions needed to keep a defensive line fresh. Barnett and Williams are new faces to the team after being cut. Teams will be running early and often on the line in an attempt to wear them out.

2. Tight End

Harold Fannin Jr. put in an impressive rookie season, but had surgery in the offseason. He was cleared to participate in training camp, but should he go down, the Browns are in trouble. The backup tight ends are Blake Whiteheart and Carsen Ryan.

Whiteheart had a total of four yards in the 2025 season. Ryan could be a big play target as he averaged 13.8 yards per reception at BYU, but he is a seventh-round rookie. The Browns may have to see what falls from the NFL waiver tree in order to find a serviceable backup to Fannin Jr.

1. Quarterback

Deshaun Watson is the starting quarterback and he has not proven he can play the position in six years. Shedeur Sanders is the backup and may start this season, but his touchdown to interception ratio last season was upside down. Third-string quarterback Dillon Gabriel looked outmatched last season trying to move the football and rookie Talen Green is too raw to be able to play NFL quarterback this season. The Browns are the thinnest at the most important position in sports.

The Browns are a thin team so their first and second year players should get plenty of playing time and experience. The Browns have talent, but not much margin for error, so hopefully the injury bug stays far away from Cleveland.

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