The Cleveland Browns’ offense was so bad last season that it overshadowed any issues on the other side of the ball.
Cleveland had the lowest-scoring offense in the NFL at just 15.2 points per game, while the defense tied for 27th allowing 25.6 points per game.
During the offseason, the offensive personnel changes grabbed most of the headlines again, though analyst Lance Reisland said he likes the moves the front office made on defense.
“Look at what the Browns did. They got rid of Ogbo (Okoronkwo), they got rid of (Dalvin) Tomlinson. Now they’ve got eight, nine guys who can play multiple positions. They’re long, they’re position flexible,” Reisland said.
The rookies on defense are exciting, as the Browns used the No. 5 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Mason Graham, who should be the most dynamic defensive tackle Myles Garrett has ever had alongside him.
In addition, second-round pick Carson Schwesinger should make an immediate impact at linebacker and ease the loss of Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who is out for the season with a neck injury.
It was telling that a team with such a poor offense used its first two picks in the draft on defense.
Cleveland didn’t make any big free agent signings and will instead be relying on the rookies and the returns to health of a few potential high-upside players who missed time last year, such as Mike Hall Jr., Alex Wright, Jordan Hicks and Greg Newsome II.
There is depth and versatility now, so hopefully, the offense can improve enough to avoid putting the defense behind the 8-ball as often.
NEXT:
Analyst Makes Case For Browns To Start Veteran QB