After fielding arguably the best defense in the NFL in the 2023 season, the Cleveland Browns brought back most contributors from that record-setting unit. However, as the offense cratered in the 2024 season, it dragged the defense down with it.
Cleveland’s defense dropped from first in yards per play allowed (4.6) in 2023 to 23rd in 2024, allowing 5.6 yards per play. And after yielding the lowest total QBR in the league in 2023, the Browns allowed the seventh-highest mark to quarterbacks last season (59.2). The defense also gave up 126 explosive plays, the third most in the NFL.
During the Browns’ second week of organized team activities, defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz pointed to two areas of improvement for his unit: third-down defense and takeaways. Cleveland’s defense ranked eighth in third-down defense (36.2%) but its 12 takeaways were tied for second fewest in the NFL.
The Browns still return many of the players who played a big role in its elite finish in 2023, including edge rusher Myles Garrett, who was named Defensive Player of the Year that season. If Cleveland, though, is to establish itself once again as one of the league’s stingiest defenses, it will need strong play from a cast of newcomers and incumbents looking to step into bigger roles.
Here are five players who could determine if the Browns defense is elite again in 2025.
CB Martin Emerson Jr.
In 2023, Emerson looked like an up-and-coming star cornerback in the league. Emerson allowed the lowest passer rating among corners with at least 40 targets (43.8) and formed a cornerback duo with perennial Pro Bowler Denzel Ward that rarely gave up much on the outside.
But last season, Emerson was a frequent target for opposing offenses and allowed a passer rating of 100.5 when targeted, which ranked 49th out of 71 cornerbacks with at least 40 targets.
“The biggest thing has just been finishing at the ball,” Schwartz said in January. “There’s a lot of metrics that his coverage has been just as tight (in 2024) as (2023), but there’s a little better finish at the ball, so that’s got to be a point of emphasis.”
It’s a critical season for Emerson, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract. A bounce-back campaign could not only help vault the Browns’ defense back to the top of the league but result in a lucrative contract for Emerson.
DL Mason Graham
The Browns provided the first surprise of the NFL draft when they traded the No. 2 pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars to acquire a 2026 first-rounder and move back three spots before selecting Graham. In drafting the former Michigan standout, Cleveland got a player it viewed as a perfect fit for its defense because of his ability to pressure the quarterback and get in the backfield.
This offseason, Cleveland released defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson and did not re-sign Maurice Hurst, so Graham will have the opportunity to make an early impact. It has been a transition for Graham, whose defense in Ann Arbor mainly asked its defensive linemen to hold blocks as opposed to penetrate the offensive line. Graham never registered more than 3.5 sacks in a single season in college, but Schwartz said Graham has “some meat on the bone” to impact the game more as a pass rusher. With Garrett attracting so much attention on the edge, there are plenty of 1-on-1 opportunities for the Browns’ interior linemen.
“You’re closer to the quarterback when you’re a tackle. But there’s only a few ways you can really combat a defensive tackle,” Schwartz said. “And one of those is the center slide. And if the centers always slide into Myles, that provides a lot of opportunities for a player there. We have to take better advantage of those situations than we did last year.”
DL Maliek Collins
Shortly after releasing Tomlinson, the Browns replaced him with Collins, signing the former San Francisco 49ers lineman to a two-year deal worth $20 million. In a defense that values interior linemen who can rush the passer, Collins could be a better fit than Tomlinson, who recorded six sacks in two seasons with Cleveland. Last season, Collins had the seventh-highest pass rush win rate (12.7%) as an interior defender. The Browns led the league in 2024 with a 40% pressure rate but Garrett was the only player with at least 20 pressures; Collins registered 27 with the San Francisco 49ers last season.
LB Carson Schwesinger
It took just two practices for Schwesinger to exhibit the skills that led the Browns to select him with the 33rd overall pick. During the second day of rookie minicamp, Schwesinger dropped back in coverage with his eyes on rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel during a red zone drill. As the ball left Gabriel’s hands, Schwesinger undercut a slant route by running back Pierre Strong Jr., intercepted the pass and sprinted to the opposite end zone.
Schwesinger, a former walk-on at UCLA, only had one year as a starter but was one of the most productive linebackers in the nation. Of the 47 FBS players with at least 100 tackles last season, Schwesinger’s four missed tackles were the fewest. The Browns view Schwesinger as an ascending player who can play both the run and pass.
Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a 2023 Pro Bowler and team leader, will miss the entirety of the 2025 season after the Browns placed him on the reserve/physically unable to perform list because of a neck in
jury he suffered last season. Like Graham, Schwesinger could carve out a significant role early on as a rookie.
“Carson has a unique feel to find the ball and get it on the ground,” linebackers coach Jason Tarver said. “…What’s impressive about him is how for a younger player, how well he takes care of his body. He’s incredibly flexible and strong and you can see it in how he moves, how he’s able to keep his feet apart.”
S Ronnie Hickman
The Browns in March released Juan Thornhill after two disappointing seasons in which he missed a combined 12 games because of injuries and didn’t record an interception. Cleveland has signed a pair of veteran safeties in Damontae Kazee and Rayshawn Jenkins, but it could be third-year player Ronnie Hickman who steps into a full-time role opposite safety Grant Delpit in 2025.
As Thornhill was sidelined the last two seasons, Hickman typically filled his spot, and Schwartz has praised Hickman’s ability as a deep safety. Schwartz said Hickman, who originally joined the team as an undrafted free agent, has the skill set to record multiple interceptions in the Browns’ defense. In two seasons, Hickman has started nine games and recorded an interception that was returned for a touchdown, along with four pass breakups. And in 2023, Hickman forced a tight window on 41.7% of targets, the highest mark among safeties who were targeted at least 10 times.
“He’s always been a ball hawk,” Schwartz said. “Last year there were some injuries, things that kept him from being on the field. This is a really big season. He’s in his third year. He should really hit his stride for us. … We’re a safety-heavy team. We run a lot of three-safety system, but we need Ronnie to bring it all together.”
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