At one point, “power rankings” were more or less limited to a few sports media outlets. One of the early adopters was ESPN, and their Tuesday morning version during the season was, and still is, required reading for some. Finding out what the “world’s leading sportswriter” thought about the Cleveland Browns was a major milestone in the weekly edition.
There are now many versions of the NFL Power Rankings.
While the Browns are struggling with injuries on the offensive line and two losses in the preseason, it seems as if QB Deshaun Watson will be on the field Saturday night. Despite all the reasons for concern. We’ve seen very few of the players expected to make Cleveland’s initial 53-man roster, so Week 3 of the preseason against the Seattle Seahawks could give us a much better indication of where the team stands.
In ESPN’s latest Power Rankings, the Browns are ranked 12th. They also name OT Jedrick Wills as the person (could have been a coach, GM or player) on the hotlist for Cleveland this year:
Wills has started 53 games for the Browns since being selected 10th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. But he is entering a contract year returning from a torn medial ligament that limited him to eight games in 2023. Wills remains on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list and there is no timetable for his return. He must not only show that he is healthy, but also that he is still the long-term solution as a blindside protector.
Given the contract extensions of several other key players at key positions and Wills’ struggles to live up to his draft status, the left tackle is the right choice. Many consider Watson to be someone on the hot seat, but his contract is guaranteed, which takes a lot of the pressure off.
The Browns are ranked behind the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals in the AFC North in the Power Rankings, with the Ravens moving up one spot since the NFL Draft. The Pittsburgh Steelers have moved down one spot in this iteration of the Power Rankings.
In total, six AFC teams are ranked ahead of Cleveland, with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and Steelers rounding out the top half of the league.
Let us know in the comments if you agree with the 12th ranking or if you think it’s too high or too low. Is anyone else in the hot seat this year other than Wills and maybe Watson?
