The Browns had an elite defense during the 2025 season that Pro Football Focus even graded as the 2nd best defense in the NFL. Now losing head coach Kevin Stefanski, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz, and future hall of famer Myles Garrett, it remains to be seen how strong the Browns will be on defense during the 2026 season. Here I will go into detail assessing the Browns’ personnel in the back end of their defense and how it will look during the 2026 season.
Set to start at the first of the two cornerback spots is former first rounder Denzel Ward who has had his ups and downs in his career but is a very good player as a five-time pro bowl selection set to play next season at 29 years old. Ward in six of eight seasons has graded in the above average to well above average range among players at his position but has had two down years, one of which was in 2025. Ward had a down year in 2025 where Pro Football Focus graded him as below average among players at his position, but he was still able to garner a pro bowl selection. Ward is not one of the premier corners in the game but is an above average to a well above average player at the position.
A similar narrative can be written for 2020 2nd rounder Grant Delpit who is set to start at the strong safety spot for the Browns. Delpit got off to a rocky start to his career ranking below average among players at his position in each of his first two seasons in the NFL. However, Delpit has gotten his act together and has now graded above average among players at his position for three straight seasons. However, Delpit never ranks among the elite players at his position and just like Ward is a good if not a very good starter but nothing special for now.
However, starting free safety Ronnie Hickman may certainly be a star at the position and could soon become a household name in the NFL. Taking reserve snaps in his first two seasons in the NFL, Hickman consistently played at a borderline elite to an elite level ranking in or around the top ten among players at his position. 2025 was Hickman’s first season as a starter in the NFL and he still graded in the well above average but not elite range among players at his position logging over 1000 snaps. As Hickman goes into his second full season as a starter in 2026, perhaps he could recapture the elite form he had when he was a reserve.
Former 2nd rounder Tyson Campbell occupies the remaining primary cornerback spot for the Browns and is a player who has a very high ceiling, but who lacks consistency. Campbell in two of four seasons in the NFL outside of his rookie year has graded above average while grading below average the other two seasons. However, during his second season in the NFL as a 2021 2nd rounder, Campbell graded in the top five among players at his position in over 1000 snaps, playing like one of the top corners in the NFL. Campbell however then struggled with his health the following two seasons grading below average among players at his position both seasons. Campbell however stayed mostly healthy during the 2025 campaign grading in the well above average range among players at his position. Campbell is a very good if not an elite player when healthy and it will be interesting to see how he performs next season.
The starting nickel cornerback spot is the weak point of the entire Browns’ defense/team heading into the 2026 season. 2024 7th rounder Myles Harden is set to start at the position but has not yet even proven to be an NFL caliber player and certainly has not proven to be a starting caliber player. Harden barely played as a rookie and looked poor in over 500 snaps in year 2 in the NFL. As Harden heads into his second season playing extended snaps perhaps he can prove to be a capable NFL starter. The Browns’ coaching staff must see something in Harden to list him as the starter despite being so unproven. But the position as of now remains a big weakness for Cleveland as the Browns also lack the presence of highly capable backup players at the position as well.
From a depth standpoint in the reserve secondary unit the Browns are not in the best shape and will likely need their starters to stay healthier and for their starters to be on their A game as the team lacks high end backups and/or players who can step into a starting role. Cleveland drafted safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the 2nd round of the 2026 NFL Draft who was a 2nd team All-American in college who ranked amongst the best safeties in the country despite playing in a small conference school. Safety Daniel Thomas struggled to start his career but had a very strong season in 2025 ranking (13/107) among players at his position in just over 100 snaps. While cornerback D’Angelo Ross has produced at a slightly above average clip with regularity thus far in the NFL on a perennial basis. Ross could eventually take Myles Harden’s place in the starting lineup and Ross is the only high-end reserve that the team has at corner as of now.
The Browns have a very good secondary that could be an elite one next season, and a breakdown of the unit can be found below.
2026 Browns Projected Starting Secondary
LCB – Denzel Ward – B+
SS – Grant Delpit – B to B-
FS – Ronnie Hickman – B+ to A-, could take jump to A range next season as he proves himself more
RCB – Tyson Campbell – B+, elite ceiling but inconsistent, could very well take jump to A range next season if he can become more consistent with better health
NB – Myles Harden – D so far as 2024 7th rounder, weak link as of now, could improve heading into second full season of extended snaps, will be a candidate to move to a reserve role
2026 Notable Browns Secondary Reserves
S – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren – 2026 2nd rounder
S – Daniel Thomas – C+ to B-, could grade higher than this once he proves to be more consistent
CB – D’Angelo Ross – C+ to B-
