Browns Release First Unofficial Depth Chart Of 2021 Season

On Tuesday, the Cleveland Browns released their first unofficial depth chart of 2021:

For those looking for a searchable depth chart, you can find it here.

The usual heavy hitters are there as we are just days away from the first preseason game of 2021.

Take 2: The first #Browns unofficial depth chart for the 2021 season pic.twitter.com/nfIJSd7MYK

— Daryl Ruiter (@RuiterWrongFAN) August 10, 2021

There are some interesting position battles that have unofficial decisions heading into Saturday’s contest against the Jacksonville Jaguars:

Tight End: 1. Hooper 2. Njoku 3. Bryant

Well, here we have a battle between David Njoku and Harrison Bryant for the second tight end spot on the team.

Here are the 2020 statistics from the tight end position:

• Austin Hooper: 46 receptions (second on the team), 435 receiving yards (third), and four receiving touchdowns (tied for second)
• David Njoku: 19 receptions, 213 yards, and two touchdowns
• Harrison Bryant: 24 receptions, 238 yards, and three touchdowns

Bryant played two more games than Njoku last year, and the rookie outperformed the fourth-year tight end.

However, Njoku has looked strong during training camp.

Here are videos of his touchdown catches from both of the quarterbacks:

Baker Mayfield finds David Njoku for the TD. #Browns pic.twitter.com/kqJF86Yd8u

— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) August 8, 2021

Case Keenum finds David Njoku to end the practice. #Browns pic.twitter.com/W0VvWKzKF8

— clevelanddotcom (@clevelanddotcom) August 8, 2021

Meanwhile, Harrison Bryant bulked up for the 2021 season:

#Browns TE Harrison Bryant said he put on 13 pounds of good weight in offseason. pic.twitter.com/i1PQMdaZtl

— Tom Withers (@twithersAP) August 10, 2021

It is understandable that Browns fans will think that Bryant will finish as the second tight end.

He may even be the No. 1 tight end if the Browns deal Hooper, and there is a chance that happens.

Njoku put up a career-high 56 receptions, 639 yards, and four touchdowns in 2018, but he has struggled to stay on the field since.

Under Kevin Stefanski, Njoku failed to step up to the plate last year.

Bryant took advantage of his playing time as a rookie, and he should see improvement in year number two.

The expectation is that Bryant takes the No. 2 tight end spot early in the 2021 season.

Running Back: 1. Chubb 2. Hunt 3. Johnson 4. Felton

Before the analysis, let us take a look at the 2020 running back statistics:

• Nick Chubb: 206 touches for 1,217 yards and 12 touchdowns
• Kareem Hunt: 236 touches for 1,145 yards and 11 touchdowns
• D’Ernest Johnson: 36 touches for 180 yards, but no touchdowns
• Demetric Felton (with UCLA): 154 touches for 827 yards and eight touchdowns

Cleveland returns its two-headed monster at running back, as the Browns look to improve on their third-ranked rushing offense from 2020.

Chubb missed four games last year, and Hunt filled in valiantly.

Johnson also helped with 33 rushes last year, but can he keep the No. 3 spot on the depth chart?

Rookie Demetric Felton will try to impress the coaching staff in the preseason.

The Browns selected the All-Pac-12 second-teamer with the 211th pick of the 2021 draft.

Can Felton produce five yards per touch as Johnson did in limited time last year?

If so, then the Browns will be happy to welcome Felton on the field for touches when needed.

If not, a healthy Johnson should be able to hold the third position on the depth chart for the majority of 2021.

Right Defensive Tackle: 1. Billings 2. Day 3. Togiai 4. Wilson

At the right defensive tackle position, we have an interesting situation, as the projected starter did not even play a down in 2020:

• Andrew Billings: opted out of the 2020 season
• Sheldon Day (with the Colts): two tackles and one pass defended in four games
• Tommy Togiai (with Ohio State): 23 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and two passes defended in seven games
• Marvin Wilson (with Florida State): 17 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and three blocked kicks in six games

Well, the rookie Togiai played the most games of anyone in the RDT position battle, and the second-most was undrafted rookie Marvin Wilson.

Stefanski should be sure to get the rookies time to try to prove themselves.

Togiai, the team’s fourth-rounder, will get the opportunity to play during the preseason, but we will have to see about Wilson.

Expect Togiai to make the team, and Browns fans hope that Billings and Day are ready for a long season.

If not, Togiai — and possibly Wilson — should be ready to help keep the positional depth at RDT.