The Cleveland Browns have been one of the most discussed teams this offseason, for better or worse. The Browns have plenty of talent on their roster, but a dark cloud has been looming over them. The controversy surrounding new quarterback Deshaun Watson has seemingly overshadowed the rest of the team.
Even without Watson, Cleveland has assembled a rock-solid roster. The Browns have some of the best players at their positions, including Nick Chubb and Myles Garrett, and great pieces to compliment them. Regardless of who is under center, this team will be dangerous.
The Browns open their preseason slate with a game against the Jaguars on Friday. With the game just around the corner, Cleveland's roster is coming more into view.
Kevin Stefanski's first depth chart mostly matches up with expectations. Amari Cooper is the top wideout, Denzel Ward is the top corner, and so on. However, there are also a few more surprising placements on the Browns' depth chart.
3 biggest surprises from Kevin Stefanski's first Browns depth chart for 2022
3. Taven Bryan as a starting DT
Bryan entered the NFL with high expectations. The defensive tackle put together a solid final season at Florida with 40 tackles and four sacks. He showed enough promise that the Jaguars selected him in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Since then, Bryan hasn't panned out at the NFL level. Through four seasons with Jacksonville, he had just 5.5 sacks despite missing just two games in that span. The Jaguars elected not to pick up his fifth-year option, and he landed with the Browns this offseason.
Cleveland obviously saw something in Bryan, otherwise they wouldn't have signed him. Still, it's surprising to see him starting immediately. The Browns are relatively thin at defensive tackle, but putting so much faith in a reclamation project is a bit odd.
2. David Bell as WR3
The Browns selected Bell in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. The wide out put together a nice career at Purdue with nearly 3,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in three seasons. He definitely has a chance to carve out a niche for himself at the NFL level in the future.
However, starting Bell right away is somewhat of a head-scratcher. While he is one of the more talented wide outs on the roster, he could benefit from starting as a backup and learning the system before becoming a starter. In particular, Jakeem Grant is a six-year vet who could give Bell some valuable mentoring.
This decision likely won't be that strange in the long run, assuming Bell develops as projected. Still, the Browns need to be careful with how they're handling the rookie wide out.
1. Chase Winovich as a third stringer
Through the first two seasons of his career, Winovich was a solid part of the Patriots' defensive front. Winovich, a third-round pick out of Michigan, put up 11 sacks in his first two seasons. He even started nine games in 2020, and looked like a key piece for New England moving forward.
That promise came tumbling down thanks to a terrible 2021 season. Winovich played in 13 games, but failed to record a sack and had just 11 total tackles. The Patriots opted to move on from Winovich and traded him to the Browns this offseason.
Winovich could be another reclamation project for Cleveland, but it seems like he won't see the field much. He is the third left defensive end on the depth chart, behind Jadeveon Clowney and Stephen Weatherly. Clowney is obviously the best player of the three, but Winovich should definitely be above Weatherly.
Weatherly, a 2016 seventh-round pick, has been a journeyman throughout his career. In six seasons with the Panthers, Broncos and two stints with the Vikings, he has just 8.5 sacks.
Of the two, Winovich easily has the higher upside. With the Browns trying to push for the playoffs, they need all the talent they can get, and this move goes against that.
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