The Cleveland Browns are in a weird spot. If you look at the Browns 2025 depth chart, you aren't just looking at a list of football players; you’re looking at a giant, expensive puzzle that Andrew Berry has to solve before the cap catches up to him. Most people look at the roster and see a dominant defense and a "maybe" at quarterback. But honestly, it’s deeper than that. The 2025 season represents a massive crossroads for this franchise because the guaranteed money is starting to suffocate the flexibility they’ve enjoyed for the last three years.
Winning in the NFL is about talent. It’s also about math.
The Deshaun Watson Reality Check
Let's just address the elephant in the room immediately. Deshaun Watson is the starting quarterback on the Browns 2025 depth chart. Whether fans love that or hate that is irrelevant to the spreadsheet. With a cap hit scheduled to balloon to roughly $72 million, he is the sun that the rest of the roster orbits around. Jameis Winston or whoever occupies the QB2 spot is basically an insurance policy for a house built on a floodplain. You hope you don't need it, but you're glad it's there.
The nuance here is in the backup battle. Dorian Thompson-Robinson enters 2025 with more experience, but the Browns have shown they aren't afraid to bring in a veteran who can win games immediately if Watson’s shoulder—or his form—regresses. Expect the front office to prioritize a high-floor backup because this roster is "win-now." They can't afford to waste a year of Myles Garrett's prime on a developmental project at QB.
Rebuilding the Offensive Line
Bill Callahan is gone, and that’s a bigger deal than people realize. The 2025 offensive line depth chart looks drastically different than the 2023 version that dominated the league. Jedrick Wills Jr. is a massive question mark regarding his long-term future in Cleveland. If the Browns don't extend him, the left tackle spot becomes a glaring hole that a mid-round rookie probably can't fill.
Dawand Jones is the bright spot. He’s massive. He’s surprisingly nimble. He basically locked down the right tackle spot, which allows the team to be more flexible with Jack Conklin. Conklin’s contract and injury history make him a potential trade or cut candidate heading into the 2025 league year. On the interior, Joel Bitonio isn't getting any younger. While he’s still playing at a Pro Bowl level, the Browns have to start looking at the 2025 draft for a successor. Wyatt Teller remains the "pancake king" at right guard, providing that nasty streak the Browns identity is built on.
It's a transition period. You've got legends like Bitonio anchoring one side and young, unproven depth trying to survive on the other.
The Weapons: Jeudy, Cooper, and the NJoku Factor
Jerry Jeudy was a huge swing. By 2025, we’ll know if that trade was a masterstroke or a mistake. On the Browns 2025 depth chart, Jeudy is positioned to be the primary explosive threat. But what about Amari Cooper? He’s the professional’s professional. Even as he gets into his 30s, his route running is so crisp that he doesn't need elite speed to get open. However, his contract situation is always a talking point.
- Amari Cooper: The X receiver who keeps DCs awake.
- Jerry Jeudy: The vertical threat and "Z" receiver.
- Elijah Moore: The slot gadget who needs more consistent targets.
- Cedric Tillman: The big-bodied sophomore/junior looking for a breakout.
David Njoku is finally the guy we thought he’d be. He’s a YAC (yards after catch) monster. In 2025, he is arguably the second most important person on the offense behind Watson. His ability to bail out a quarterback on third-and-long is what keeps drives alive. Behind him, the depth is thin. Jordan Akins provides a receiving threat, but they lack a true "blocking" specialist tight end that Kevin Stefanski loves for his heavy sets.
Jim Schwartz and the Defensive Identity
The defense is the soul of this team. Period. Myles Garrett is the best defensive player in football, and in 2025, he’s still the apex predator on the edge. But a depth chart is only as strong as the guys next to the superstar. Za'Darius Smith’s presence is vital because he prevents teams from triple-teaming Garrett on every snap.
The defensive tackle rotation is where Andrew Berry has really put in work. Dalvin Tomlinson is the bridge in the middle, eating up double teams so the linebackers can roam free. Speaking of linebackers, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (JOK) is the "Eraser." In the 2025 scheme, his role has evolved from a hybrid safety to a true weak-side linebacker who can cover CeeDee Lamb or hit a 250-pound running back in the hole. He is the modern NFL linebacker personified.
The Secondary: No Fly Zone 2.0
Cleveland’s secondary is arguably the deepest unit on the Browns 2025 depth chart. Denzel Ward is a lockdown corner when healthy. That "when healthy" part is the only reason he isn't mentioned in the same breath as Sauce Gardner every single week. Martin Emerson Jr. has emerged as a physical, press-man corner who actually fits Jim Schwartz's system better than almost anyone else.
Then you have Greg Newsome II. There’s always trade chatter around Newsome because he’s a starting-caliber corner playing in the slot. In 2025, if the Browns need cap relief, Newsome is the "in case of emergency break glass" trade chip. But for now, having three corners who can all travel with WR1s is a luxury most teams would kill for.
Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill at safety provide the veteran communication needed to run such a complex, aggressive man-coverage scheme. Delpit’s extension was a signal that the Browns value his versatility near the line of scrimmage.
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The Nick Chubb Component
We have to talk about Nick Chubb. He is the heart of Cleveland. After the devastating knee injury, his 2025 status is about more than just yards per carry; it’s about whether he can regain that elite "burst." If Chubb is at 80% of his former self, he’s still a top-10 back. But the depth chart behind him is no longer just "scraps." Jerome Ford has proven he can handle a heavy workload, and Pierre Strong Jr. offers a change-of-pace speed that the Browns previously lacked.
The 2025 rushing attack will likely be more of a committee than the "Chubb-only" show we saw in 2020. This is a smart move. It preserves Chubb for December and January football while keeping the offense multiple.
Why the Salary Cap is the 12th Man
You can't talk about the 2025 roster without talking about "void years." The Browns have pushed a lot of money into the future. This means their depth chart is top-heavy. If the stars stay healthy, they are Super Bowl contenders. If Myles Garrett or Deshaun Watson goes down, the "depth" part of the depth chart gets exposed quickly.
The 2025 draft will be crucial for finding "cheap labor"—specifically at defensive tackle and offensive guard. They need players on rookie contracts to balance out the massive checks being cut to the veteran core.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're tracking this team, stop looking at the starters and start looking at the "swing" players. The success of the 2025 season depends on three specific things:
- The Left Tackle Development: Watch the preseason reps for whoever is backing up the blindside. One injury to the starter and the Watson experiment is effectively over.
- The "JOK" Extension: If the Browns don't lock him up early in the 2025 cycle, his price tag will become astronomical. He is the key to the defense's speed.
- Third-Down Efficiency: In 2024, the Browns struggled to stay on the field. The 2025 depth chart is built with more "shifty" receivers (like Jeudy and Moore) to specifically address this. Watch the target share in the first four weeks.
The Browns are gambling on their ability to out-talent the AFC North. It’s a high-stakes game where the margin for error is razor-thin. If the 2025 depth chart holds up, the North might finally run through Cleveland. If the injuries pile up, the cap situation might force a rebuild sooner than anyone wants to admit.