Franchise owner Jimmy Haslam promised fans that the Cleveland Browns would improve this season. The team has undergone many changes since, and yet experts don’t have faith that they will. 

“Biggest weakness: Quarterback,” Mike Clay of ESPN wrote. “New season, same weakness. Cleveland is letting now-healthy Deshaun Watson battle it out with 2025 fifth-rounder Shedeur Sanders for the starting job, with Dillon Gabriel and rookie Taylen Green also on the roster.”

On July 6, ESPN released a new ranking of the best projected 2026 NFL roster and its starting lineup. The Browns are placed 31st overall on the list. The prediction places veteran Deshaun Watson as the Browns’ starting quarterback. The franchise still hasn’t decided who the starter will be. 

The two-man competition between Watson and Shedeur Sanders is set to unfold and end in the training. The ranking compared Watson and Sanders’s performances. 

“Watson has struggled badly during 19 games played in four seasons with Cleveland, and he missed all of 2025 because of a torn right Achilles,” the list read. “Sanders produced eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions in eight games as a rookie while completing a league-worst 57% of his passes.”

Perhaps Watson’s experience and dual-threat qualities will triumph over Sanders to result in ESPN’s verdict. It is not surprising that the offense’s quarterback crisis is their weakness while the defense is their strength. 

Cleveland Browns’ defense still their gretest strength going into 2026

Significant changes like star defensive end Myles Garrett’s trade and the exit of former unit coordinator Jim Schwartz haven’t budged the Browns secondary’s status as a formidable one.

“Biggest strength: The front seven. This group lost Myles Garrett but still has the potential to be good after Cleveland finished second in pass rush win rate (45.7%) and run stop win rate (33.5%) last season,” ESPN wrote.

Jared Verse is called a “capable replacement” of Garrett. Verse is said to play with Alex Wright and Isaiah McGuire on the edge, defensive tackle Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger. 

Apart from the QB prediction, the roster is a mix of old and new faces. 2026 draft picks like lineman Spencer Fano and wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston are expected to play. 

What are your thoughts on the list? Tell us in the comments. 

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Written by

Akanksha Biradar