ESPN projections leave Browns starters close to the bottom despite offseason overhaul

The Cleveland Browns are trying to reshape their roster heading into the 2026 season, but an ESPN projection has them carrying some of the same expectations they have spent much of the last few years fighting against. In ESPN’s roster ranking of projected starting lineups, the Browns are described as owning one of the league’s weakest starting groups overall, even after a notable run of additions meant to raise the team’s floor.

The contrast is stark because the Browns’ offseason narrative has been built on improvement. Through free agency and the draft, Cleveland has positioned itself as a club that can climb quickly, including major changes on the offensive side and defensive continuity built around proven playmakers. Still, ESPN’s outlook keeps the Browns near the bottom, suggesting that the new personnel is not viewed as instantly resolving the central questions that can decide a team’s weekly results.

According to the ESPN projections as summarized by Dawgs By Nature, Cleveland’s projected starters are second worst in the NFL in the leaguewide ranking. The framework of that evaluation matters: ESPN characterizes the Browns’ defensive front seven as the strength of the roster, while identifying the quarterback position as the principal weakness. In other words, the defense is expected to stabilize what has often been a volatile profile, but the offense is where the biggest uncertainty remains under the projected starter model.

The Browns’ quarterback situation is also where the storyline gets more complicated, because ESPN’s concern is not just about having the position left open. The evaluation references Shedeur Sanders and notes that he has progressed significantly. That language, however, does not erase the projection that Cleveland is still not getting enough certainty from the quarterback spot to elevate its overall roster ranking. Instead, it points to a team that may need more time for its offensive rhythm to match its talent acquisition.

ESPN’s “X factor” theme, again as outlined in the Dawgs By Nature writeup, centers on the remade offensive line. The analysis describes an entirely new group across most of Cleveland’s projected starters, with four of five projected linemen not on the roster the prior season, and the fifth starter having played only a limited number of games. The stated expectation is that chemistry and cohesion will have to develop quickly, because the range of outcomes for that unit is framed as wide. That emphasis matters for the Browns because it directly impacts whether a quarterback can play within the offense’s timing demands and whether the team can control games with consistent protection and run support.

The Browns have also received major roster-building credit in broader offseason discussion, and the club’s identity is still anchored by high-impact talent. Myles Garrett is referenced in the coverage as a key piece connected to Cleveland’s defensive ceiling, reinforcing the notion that the team’s best path to immediate improvement runs through the ability of the front to pressure opponents and shape matchups.

For Browns fans, the practical takeaway is that “offseason winners” and “projected starters near the bottom” can coexist in the same season preview. The difference is time horizon and confidence level. ESPN appears to believe Cleveland is closer than it looks on paper, but not enough yet for a top-half starting lineup projection. What to watch next is how quickly the offensive line shows cohesion in preseason work and how that, in turn, affects the development curve at quarterback, because ESPN’s ranking suggests the Browns’ ascent depends on those interconnected building blocks more than on any one headline addition.