What looked to be the strength of a great defense for a playoff-caliber team has been pulled apart a piece at a time this season for the Cleveland Browns. After mostly ignoring the defensive line for the first three years under DC Joe Woods, GM Andrew Berry prioritized it in 2023 leading to a top-ranked defense and a playoff appearance.

Like everything else with the Browns, the defensive line just wasn’t good enough in 2024.

At the NFL trade deadline, Cleveland dealt away DE Za’Darius Smith and released DT Quinton Jefferson. Smith re-signed with the Browns this offseason while Jefferson was brought in as a free agent.

With DE Alex Wright on injured reserve for the year, three of the nine defensive linemen who made the initial 53-man roster are no longer on the roster.

After Tuesday’s moves, Cleveland’s defensive line depth chart looks like this:

Defensive End

Starters: Myles Garrett, Isaiah McGuire
Reserves: Ogbo Okoronkwo

While Okoronkwo is the veteran, McGuire is more of a complete defensive end while Okoronkwo is more of a pure pass rusher as a sub.

Defensive Tackle

Starters: Dalvin Tomlinson, Shelby Harris
Reserves: Michael Hall II, Maurice Hurst II

Practice Squad Defensive Line

Defensive end: Sam Kamara
Defensive tackle: Jowon Briggs

GM Andrew Berry will likely need to bring in reinforcements with the two open roster spots created today.

We will work to update the Browns depth chart weekly to make sure you always have access to up-to-date information.