• Hall-of-Famer Joe Thomas and Myles Garrett headline for the Browns: Garrett is fresh off a Defensive Player of the Year-winning campaign, and Thomas was elected as a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer in 2023.
• The Browns have cultivated offensive line success throughout the PFF era: Guard Joel Bitonio is the latest long-time homegrown standout on the unit, with his best season coming in 2021.
• Get a head start on fantasy football: Use PFF's fantasy football mock draft simulator to create real live mock draft simulations to prepare for your live draft!
Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes
PFF has collected football data since the 2006 NFL season. That allows us to look back at almost two decades of grades and numbers and pick out the best seasons at each position.
Here are the top players at each position for the Cleveland Browns in that span, and some key takeaways from the data.
QB: Baker Mayfield, 2020, 86.0 PFF Grade
RB: Nick Chubb, 2022, 90.4 PFF Grade
WR: Jarvis Landry, 2020, 84.8 PFF Grade
WR: Andrew Hawkins, 2013, 83.6 PFF Grade
WR: Josh Gordon, 83.0 PFF Grade
TE: Steve Heiden, 2008, 80.9 PFF Grade
LT: Joe Thomas, 2009, 94.1 PFF Grade
LG: Joel Bitonio, 2021, 93.6 PFF Grade
C: Alex Mack, 2013, 86.3 PFF Grade
RG: Wyatt Teller, 2020, 92.8 PFF Grade
RT: Jack Conklin, 2020, 84.1 PFF Grade
EDGE: Myles Garrett, 2023, 94.2 PFF Grade
EDGE: Za'Darius Smith, 2023, 85.3 PFF Grade
DI: Danny Shelton, 2016, 82.1 PFF Grade
DI: Sheldon Richardson, 2019, 73.9, PFF Grade
LB: Karlos Dansby, 2014, 86.3 PFF Grade
LB: D’Qwell Jackson, 2011, 80.8 PFF Grade
CB: Joe Haden, 2010, 82.3 PFF Grade
CB: Sheldon Brown, 2012, 79.5 PFF Grade
CB: Denzel Ward, 2018, 78.9 PFF Grade
S: T.J. Ward, 2013, 83.5 PFF Grade
S: Sean Jones, 2006, 81.1 PFF Grade
K: Dustin Hopkins, 2023, 84.4 PFF Grade
P: Corey Bojorquez, 79.0 PFF Grade
K/PR: Marlon Moore, 2014, 84.8 PFF Grade
ST: Jordan Kunaszyk, 2022, 90.1 PFF Grade
*minimum 500 snaps except for running back (minimum of 100 carries)
2023 WAS A HIGH POINT AT EDGE DEFENDER
Both spots on the Browns’ “Team of the PFF Era” at edge defender come from this past season. Myles Garrett earned a 93.9 PFF overall grade in his Defensive Player of the Year-winning 2023 season, including a 94.7 PFF pass-rushing grade after registering 89 total pressures on 522 pass-rushing snaps.
Opposite him, Za’Darius Smith had the best season by a Browns edge defender not named Garrett, earning an 86.8 PFF pass-rushing grade and racking up 61 quarterback pressures from 402 pass-rushing snaps.
STRUGGLES ON THE DEFENSIVE INTERIOR
The Browns' biggest defensive weakness in terms of PFF grades in 2024 looks set to be on the interior of their defensive line, a common theme since PFF began grading. Dating back to 2006, the Browns have just one interior defender who has earned a PFF grade above 75.0 in a single season. That was Danny Shelton in 2016, with just three other players playing 500 snaps and earning a PFF grade above 70.0.
EXCELLENCE ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE
The Browns have had good offensive linemen since PFF began grading. It started with left tackle Joe Thomas, who earned a PFF pass-blocking grade above 80.0 in 11 straight seasons and was above 90.0 in each of his final five years in the NFL. Guard Joel Bitonio has been a standout on the interior, too, with his best season coming in 2021, when he earned a 92.5 PFF run-blocking grade and allowed 17 total pressures on the season.
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