The usual suspects are represented with one notable exception.
The Cleveland Browns fielded what was one of the historically worst offenses in the NFL in 2024.
It did not matter if it was Deshaun Watson, Jameis Winston, Dorian Thompson-Robinson, or Bailey Zappe under center; the offense was a complete mess.
Related: Where do Browns defenders rank on PFF’s Top 32 lists?
Consider that by mid-December of last season:
- The Browns were last in EPA per play on offense with Watson for the first seven weeks of the season.
- The Browns were last in EPA per play on offense with Winston over the next seven weeks.
- The Browns’ EPA per play with Watson starting (-0.225) ranked 786th out of 798 teams since 2000 over the first seven games of a season, per TruMedia.
- Their EPA per play with Winston starting (-0.120) ranked 690th out of 798 teams over games 8-14 since 2000.
- The Browns failed to score 20 points in the seven games that Watson started.
- The Browns failed to score 20 points in four of the seven games that Winston started.
Cleveland heads into the 2025 season with a completely rebuilt quarterback room, which should help improve the situation. But even with better quarterback play, Cleveland still needs the rest of the offense to step up its game, which could be a tall order if the offensive rankings from Pro Football Focus hold true.
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The analytics site ranked the Top 32 players at each position group, and in a few cases, the Browns are coming up short, starting with quarterback Joe Flacco, who checks in at No. 29:
As much as some Browns fans are excited about Joe Flacco’s return, the reality is he’s a 40-year-old stopgap. He can still deliver competent play and keep the offense on schedule, but he’s clearly a short-term solution until Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel is ready to take over.
The running game has fallen off without Nick Chubb the past two seasons, which led general manager Andrew Berry to select two running backs in this year’s NFL Draft. One of those backs, Quinshon Judkins, comes in at No. 27 in the rankings:
Judkins is just a rookie, which always makes it tricky to place a player appropriately ahead of a season. He will likely be the RB1 in Cleveland after earning PFF rushing grades of 88.2, 83.4, and 88.8 in his three seasons of college football.
Cleveland’s highest-rated skill player on offense is tight end David Njoku at No. 15:
After a breakout 2023 season in which he caught 88 passes for 975 yards, Njoku dealt with injuries and a shuffling quarterback room in Cleveland on his way to a career-low 64.0 PFF overall grade this past season. If he can stay healthy with stability at the quarterback position in 2025, expect the athletic big man to flirt with 1,000 yards for the first time in his career.
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The Browns are reportedly planning to revert to the power running game that has served the team well in recent seasons. To accomplish that, the team will rely on the interior of its offensive line, which remains a strength, according to PFF.
At guard, both Joel Bitonio (No. 14) and Wyatt Teller (No. 18) made the cut with PFF:
Although Bitonio enters his age-34 season and is coming off the lowest-graded season of his career, he still profiles as one of the most consistent interior pass protectors in the NFL. He ranks in the 93rd percentile on true pass sets at the position since 2022. That sustained performance as a pass protector has earned him the fourth-most PFF WAR (1.23) over the past three seasons.
Although 2024 was a tougher season than usual for Teller, he isn’t far removed from his quality output over the four seasons prior. The veteran enters his age-31 season hoping to recapture his reputation as a stout run blocker, having earned above a 70.0 PFF grade in each season since his breakout year in 2020.
Center Ethan Pocic joins Bitonio and Teller at No. 12 among centers:
While Pocic recorded his lowest PFF grades since landing in Cleveland in 2022, he remains one of the most consistent centers in the NFL. Across the past three seasons, he has produced a top-10 PFF overall grade (74.8) and a fifth-ranked PFF WAR total (0.74) — metrics that point to his ability to regain his footing heading into 2025.
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There is one prominent name missing, and that is wide receiver Jerry Jeudy. Despite a 2024 season that saw him catch 90 passes for 1,229 yards and earn a Pro Bowl selection, Jeudy did not make the cut at wide receiver.
The Browns have nowhere to go but up on offense after a disappointing season in 2024. The refreshed quarterback room is a great start, but they will need the rest of the offense to take some of the burden off whoever is at quarterback to truly make any progress when they have the ball in 2025.