The Browns had an elite defense during the 2025 season that Pro Football Focus graded as the second-best defense in the NFL. However, maintaining that level of play next season will be a challenge as they have lost head coach Kevin Stefanski, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and future hall of famer Myles Garrett on the defensive line who was amongst the most talented defensive players ever. I do not know if the Browns will be as good on defense, but I certainly like their chances of remaining an elite defense. I will go into detail assessing the personnel that the Browns have on the defensive side of the ball, starting here with the front seven of the team.
Set to start at the first of the two edge rusher spots is former third rounder Alex Wright who has had an up and down career thus far in the NFL but started to come into his own during the 2025 season. Wright struggled during his first three seasons in the NFL taking reserve snaps but during the 2025 season he graded in the top 15% among players at his position in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus.
Set to start at the first of the two interior defensive line spots is 2025 1st rounder Mason Graham who had a very strong rookie season and is in line to become a potential star. Graham was taken with the 5th overall pick in the 2025 draft and lived up to the hype in year 1 grading in the top 25% among players at his position despite being a rookie which is no small feat. Given his elite pre-draft hype and very strong rookie season, Graham is in line to become a star going forward. Perhaps the emergence of Graham on the defensive front can offset the loss of Myles Garrett.
Set to start at the other interior defensive line spot is veteran Maliek Collins who is an effective player at the position. Collins, the 2016 3rd rounder, got off to a bumpy start to his career ranking below average in terms of an overall defense grade for the first five seasons of his career. However, he has since turned it around now ranking in the above average range for five straight seasons since which included playing at a borderline elite level during the 2025 season.
Starting at the second edge rusher spot is newly acquired former Ram Jared Verse who the Browns got in exchange for Myles Garrett. Although Verse may not be the all-time talent that Garrett is, he is not too far off and after two seasons in the NFL is on a hall of fame trajectory as well. Verse was a first rounder before the 2024 season, he won Defensive Rookie of the Year in his first season, while garnering pro bowl selections in both years 1 and 2 in the NFL. Now that Verse is entering his prime, we might find that the gap between him and the likes of someone like Myles Garrett is smaller than one would otherwise think.
Set to start at the first of the two linebacker spots is former 2nd rounder Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah who is unfortunately out with injury as of now but is the listed starter when healthy. Koramoah is a very good to a great player and in each of his first four seasons has graded in the well above average range in terms of an overall defense grade according to Pro Football Focus in every season, including grading in the top ten twice.
Set to start at the middle linebacker spot is 2025 2nd rounder Carson Schwesinger who had an elite rookie season and is in line to become a star. Despite being a rookie, he graded in the top 20% among players at his position and he is set to become a star at middle linebacker in the Bobby Wagner/Fred Warner/Luke Kuechly mold, being the quarterback of the defense. Again, the potential improvement of a rookie in the starting lineup going from year 1 to year 2 can potentially offset the loss of Myles Garrett to a certain extent.
Rounding out the Browns’ starting front seven is former 3rd rounder Quincy Williams who is very talented but very inconsistent who was acquired this offseason by Cleveland. Williams during the 2023 and 2024 seasons played at a pro bowl to an all-pro level, even garnering first team all-pro honors during the 2023 season. However, outside of those two seasons, Williams has consistently produced at a very subpar rate often even ranking near the bottom of the NFL. Williams during the 2023 and 2024 seasons thrived in the ideal defensive circumstances that the Jets had under head coach Robert Saleh but really struggled without him. Perhaps now placed in very ideal defensive circumstances with the Browns, he can perhaps have another high-level season. But as of now Williams remains the weak link on the Browns’ starting front seven which goes to show the talent that Cleveland has in the unit that a former first team all-pro player who has yet to turn 30 years old is the weak link. The Browns have a few very capable reserve linebackers who could eventually take Williams’ spot in the starting lineup, however.
From a depth standpoint in the front seven the Browns have a few notable names that could vie for starting jobs and/or provide the team with some strong depth. 2023 4th round edge defender Isaiah McGuire has played at a borderline elite to an elite level in two seasons of snaps outside of his rookie year. 2024 2nd round interior defensive lineman Mike Hall Jr had a very strong rookie season before struggling with his health in year 2 and could breakout as a star in year 3. 2024 6th round linebacker Nathaniel Watson performed at an above average clip as a rookie in very limited snaps and could improve on it going forward. 2025 undrafted free agent interior defensive lineman Adin Huntington played at a well above average clip as a rookie. Interior defensive lineman Sam Kamara has played at an above average level with regularity in reserve snaps. 2024 5th rounder Edefuan Ulofoshio looked very strong as a rookie although he did not play during 2025. While the likes of Julian Okwara and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold also have shown the potential to be high end backups for the Browns as well. The Browns have one of the deepest front sevens in the sport as of now.
In totality the Browns have arguably just as good of a front seven as any team in the sport and a breakdown of the Browns’ front seven can be found below.
2026 Browns Projected Starting Front Seven
LDE – Alex Wright – B to B+, 2022 3rd rounder, struggled to start his career, came into his own during the 2025 season
LDT – Mason Graham – B+ as rookie, 2025 1st rounder, top 5 overall pick, in line to become a star
RDT – Maliek Collins – B to B+
ED – Jared Verse – A to A-
WLB – Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah – B+ to A-
MLB – Carson Schwesinger – B to B+ as rookie, 2025 2nd rounder, in line to become a star
SLB – Quincy Williams – C+ to B-, elite ceiling, very inconsistent, could be replaced in starting lineup
2026 Browns Notable Reserve Front Seven Players
ED – Isaiah McGuire – B+ to A-
DL – Mike Hall Jr – 2024 2nd rounder, B to B+, great rookie season, struggled with health in year 2, could breakout as star in year 3
ED- Julian Okwara – C+
LB – Nathaniel Watson – C+ to B- as rookie during 2024 season, 2204 6th rounder, solid rookie year, DNP in 2025
DL – Adin Huntington – B to B+ as rookie in 2025, UDFA 2025
DL – Sam Kamara – B
LB – Edefuan Ulofoshio – B to B+ in very limited rookie snaps, 2024 5th rounder, DNP in 2025
LB – Easton Mascarenas-Arnold – B to B+ in 12 rookie snaps, UDFA 2025
