Dawgs By Nature
With the Cleveland Browns setting their initial 53-man roster, with a few changes that followed, the team is much younger this season, but still has loads of questions. The defense was expected to carry the team’s success but injuries to LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and CB Martin Emerson, along with the sudden retirement of LB Jordan Hicks, have changed things.
A new addition to NFL free agency could help the Browns defense, but the only certainty overall with Cleveland’s roster is the uncertainty.
If the Browns defense is going to return to the dominance of 2023, the line will lead the way. DE Myles Garrett is still the best at the position and is joined by rookie DT Mason Graham and second-year DT Mike Hall Jr., the team’s top picks in the last two NFL drafts.
Opposite of Garrett at defensive end is a lot of potential, but questions about who will start and play the most snaps. Isaiah McGuire was very good last season after Za’Darius Smith was traded away. Cam Thomas had a great training camp and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka was added via free agency this offseason.
Alex Wright was thrown into the fire as a young player, but had shown a lot of development before a torn triceps injury ended his 2024 season in early October. Wright is one of only a handful of players who are of a similar size to Garrett, as seen below:
Wright earned ESPN’s “X-Factor” designation going into the 2025 season:
While Myles Garrett is a one-man wrecking crew, the rest of the defensive line must be functional enough to punish teams that overwhelmingly dedicate resources to stopping Garrett — the Browns struggled with that in 2024.
It looked as if the lightbulb was coming on for him in the back half of the 2023 season, and he was expected to take a larger chunk of the snaps and rush opportunities in 2024 before a torn triceps ended his season in Week 4.
Heading into his fourth season after being selected in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft, Wright is set for free agency at the end of the year. His best statistical season came in 2023 with five sacks, six tackles for loss, five QB hits, two passes defended, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
A big season from Wright, and health along the defensive line, could allow Cleveland to ride their defense to a lot of victories and would lead to a big contract for Wright this offseason. Sounds like the perfect example of an “X-Factor” player.
What are your expectations for Wright this year? Anyone else on the roster fit the “X-Factor” label?
Share your thoughts with us in the comment section below
