Fansided

5 reasons the Cleveland Browns will win the AFC North in 2020

By Nick Villano

CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 22: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens shakes hands with Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns after the game at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - DECEMBER 22: Lamar Jackson #8 of the Baltimore Ravens shakes hands with Baker Mayfield #6 of the Cleveland Browns after the game at FirstEnergy Stadium on December 22, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. Baltimore defeated Cleveland 31-15. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
Cleveland Browns
Myles Garrett #95 of the Cleveland Browns (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /

3. Talent On The Defense

The Browns were dealt a stroke of luck this offseason when they learned that defensive lineman Myles Garrett’s suspension would be ending immediately. After his heinous move against the Pittsburgh Steelers, we wouldn’t be surprised if the league added games to his suspension, but they decided missing the end of the 2019 season was enough. That puts one of the best pass rushers back into the Browns lineup.

The rest of the front seven has some good talent too. Sheldon Richardson was decent, and is finally sticking with one team after spending the past four seasons on four different teams. Olivier Vernon dealt with an injury-riddled season and had some of his worst sack numbers in his career. We expect him to bounce back this season. The linebacking group has a lot to prove in 2020, with position battles still to be worked out after going for a cost-efficient approach during the offseason.

Greedy Williams is a player to watching in this defense. He had a rough rookie campaign, but now he is given the opportunity to shine. They also added Karl Joseph to the secondary, which could be one of the more underrated signings of the offseason.

The defense isn’t the best unit in the AFC North, but it’s still one that can keep up with its talent level. Obviously, the Browns focused more on the offense, but with Garrett leading the way, the rest of the defense can live off its talent.