The Cleveland Browns have plenty of problems that need addressing. For one, they have a surplus of quarterbacks. They also have no receivers for said quarterbacks to throw to, and they still have holes all over their offensive line. Defensively, there’s more clarity, but still questions abound.
Cleveland has a massive hole at linebacker, and seem to be filling those spots with forgotten players. The defensive line is solid. But the secondary might be the biggest question mark on the defense. In that secondary are plenty of players who need to come up big in 2025, and they headline the list of Browns facing make-or-break seasons.
Greg Newsome II
I am probably Greg Newsome II’s biggest critic. I loved the pick when the Browns drafted him, but the hype died down very fast. He’s been a liability in the secondary and would rather choreograph a new celebration each week than improve his coverage.
Newsome’s Pro Football Focus rating for the 2024 season was miserable, considering he was the No. 2 corner on this roster behind Denzel Ward. Newsome received a 54 rating in coverage, which ranks 163rd out of 222 cornerbacks, ranked No. 81 in pass breakups and No. 77 in receptions allowed.
Though I may be too harsh on Newsome, my frustration with him is he doesn’t make the plays when the Browns need them most. He is typically the corner who's giving up big plays or allowing crucial receptions on third downs or for touchdowns.
This season is critical for Newsome if he wants to be part of the future for the Browns. Cleveland probably isn’t in any position to just cut every underperforming player, but between him and Martin Emerson, one of them won’t be back next year if they continue to fall short of bare minimum expectations.
Martin Emerson Jr.
Speaking of Martin Emerson Jr, he’s another player in this secondary who has to break out again this upcoming season. He had a terrible 2024 season, receiving a 48.4 coverage grade and 47.9 overall grade, per PFF. And you wonder why Cleveland’s defense was inconsistent and why they were dead last in interceptions.
Emerson was a third-round pick, so his ceiling wasn’t supposed to be high. But he had a breakout rookie season and second season. Instead of continuing to be a player the Browns could rely on in the secondary, he regressed. As a third round pick, those things happen.
He has a bit of a longer leash than Newsome, but it still stands that Emerson’s excuses are running thin. He needs to either get back to his form from his first two seasons in the NFL, or hope he’s done enough to convince another team to sign him.
Jerome Ford
There was some speculation that Jerome Ford might get traded this offseason with the Browns picking up Quinson Judkins and Dylan Sampson in the NFL Draft. He had a decent rookie season in place of an injured Nick Chubb, but last season was far from what was expected. That’s why Cleveland not only drafted two running backs, but took Judkins in the second round, a pick used on players expected to contribute.
Ford was thrown into a crazy situation his first two seasons. He was just supposed to be a backup and have a few years to grow into a future starter. He never has a real development period. On top of that, the pressure of winning in Cleveland which was supposed to be in a win-now scenario didn’t help.
He will have to make an immediate impact at the beginning of the season. Judkins is probably the favorite to be the Week 1 starter, but that doesn’t mean Ford’s window is absent. All it means is that if he doesn’t prove he adds value to this crippled offense, he’ll sift through the depth chart.
Kenny Pickett
Ah yes, the quarterback position. It’s a position that will be talked about in Cleveland as long as the Browns are in Cleveland – or a Cleveland suburb for that matter. This is something the Browns just can’t escape. Each year, they’re either drafting the wrong one or paying the wrong one.
This time around, it’s Kenny Pickett. This is a crucial season for him because truthfully, he should win the starting job over Joe Flacco. Pickett is on his third team in his rookie contract and was demoted to being a backup in Philadelphia last year. His first two seasons in Pittsburgh were mediocre at best.
Pickett should have a leg up over the rookies, but there’s a chance we see Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel before we see Pickett take the field. As of now it feels like Flacco is the presumed starter. This is probably Pickett’s job to lose. If he doesn’t play well, let alone start the season, this will probably be his last chance to be a starter in the NFL.