Prior to this month's draft, 1SBD's Mark Hogan takes an in-depth look into each team's current projected starters and identifies strengths and lingering team needs after the first waves of free agency.
Player stats collected from Pro Football Reference. Salary information per Over The Cap.
TAKEAWAYS
PROS
- John Dorsey can seemingly do no wrong. NFL Media is already declaring him a Top 4 general manager, Cleveland fans are relieved they can sit out the draft's first round because they got wide receiver Odell Beckham, and bookmakers have the team ranked fifth most-likely to win the Super Bowl after the acquisitions of running back Kareem Hunt, pass rusher Olivier Vernon and defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson.
- It's hard to pick a better side of the ball. The offense is loaded with difference-makers; most notably Beckham, Hunt, quarterback Baker Mayfield, running back Nick Chubb, and tight end David Njoku. But with Vernon lining up opposite former first overall pick Myles Garrett on the defensive line and cornerback Denzel Ward covering behind them, no team will look forward to playing the NFL's former laughing stock.
CONS
- The Browns never seriously addressed linebacker in free agency, instead opening to fill the defensive positions around them. Jamie Collins was released, while remaining starters Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey didn't make a huge contribution last year. Last year's fifth round pick Genard Avery showed flashes but the Browns still lack that impact sideline-to-sideline talent.
Projected Starters
NOTE:
NAME, Draft Round.Overall Pick (TEAM, year). Starts/Games Played. Age. Cap Hit 2019
QB has an additional 'total yards, number of attempts (yards per attempt)' figure.
RB, WR and TE have an additional ‘total yards / number of touches (yards per touch)’ statistic
Age as of Sunday September 8, 2019 (Week 1)
QUARTERBACK
BAKER MAYFIELD, 1.01 (CLE, 2018). 13/14. 3,725 yards/ 486 attempts. (7.7 y/a). 24-years-old. $7,427,950
RUNNING BACK
NICK CHUBB, 2.35 (CLE, 2018). 9/16. 1,145 yards/ 212 touches (5.4). 23-years-old. $1,677,976
WIDE RECEIVER
RASHARD HIGGINS, 5.172 (CLE, 2016). 5/44. 965 yards/ 73 touches (13.2). 24-years-old. $2,025,000
ODELL BECKHAM JR., 1.12 (NYG, 2014). 56/59. 5,550 yards/ 405 touches (13.7). 26-years-old. $17,000,000
JARVIS LANDRY, 2.63 (MIA, 2014). 71/80. 5,193 yards/ 510 touches (10.2). 26-years-old. $14,050,000
Average: 82nd overall pick. 132 starts/ 183 games played (72.1%). 11,708 yards/ 988 touches (11.9). 25.3-years-old. Total cap hit: $33.1M
TIGHT END
DAVID NJOKU, 1.29 (CLE, 2017). 19/32. 1,026 yards/ 89 touches (11.5). 23-years-old. $2,597,82
OFFENSIVE LINE
GREG ROBINSON, 1.02 (LAR, 2014). 56/68. 26-years-old. $7,000,000
JOEL BITONIO, 2.35 (CLE, 2014). 63/63. 27-years-old. $7,000,000
J.C. TRETTER, 4.122 (GB, 2013). 42/63. 28-years-old. $7,250,000
AUSTIN CORBETT, 2.33 (CLE, 2018). 1/11. 24-years-old. $1,708,726
CHRIS HUBBARD, undrafted (PIT, 2014). 30/56. 28-years-old. $7,300,000
Average: 90th overall pick. 192 starts/ 261 games played (73.6%). 26.6-years-old. Total cap hit: $30.3M
DEFENSIVE LINE
MYLES GARRETT, 1.01 (CLE, 2017). 25/27. 23-years-old. $8,294,251
LARRY OGUNJOBI, 3.65 (CLE, 2017). 17/30. 25-years-old. $1,065,587
SHELDON RICHARDSON, 1.13 (NYJ, 2013). 87/89. 28-years-old. $9,666,666
OLIVIER VERNON, 3.72 (MIA, 2012). 85/103. 28-years-old. $15,500,000
Average: 151st overall pick. 214 starts/ 249 games played (85.9%). 26-years-old. Total cap hit: $34.5M
LINEBACKERS
GENARD AVERY, 5.150 (CLE, 2018). 5/16. 24-years-old. $642,237
JOE SCHOBERT, 4.99 (CLE, 2016). 33/45. 25-years-old. $2,183,489
CHRISTIAN KIRKSEY, 3.71 (CLE, 2014). 52/71. 27-years-old. $8,200,000
Average: 107th overall pick. 90 starts/ 132 games played (68.2%). 25.3-years-old. Total cap hit: $11.0M
CORNERBACK
DENZEL WARD, 1.04 (CLE, 2018). 12/13. 22-years-old. $6,628,490
TERRANCE MITCHELL, 7.254 (DAL, 2014). 18/38. 27-years-old. $3,466,666
Average: 129th overall pick. 30 starts/ 51 games played (58.8%). 24.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $10.1M
SAFETY
MORGAN BURNETT, 3.71 (GB, 2010). 104/113. 30-years-old. $2,596,875
DAMARIOUS RANDALL, 1.30 (GB, 2015). 45/54. 27-years-old. $9,069,000
Average: 51st overall pick. 149 starts/ 167 games played (89.2%). 28.5-years-old. Total cap hit: $11.7M
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