The general consensus around the media is that the Cleveland Browns will be a middle-of-the-road team during the 2024 NFL season.

Many are even predicting the Browns to finish last in the AFC North, although that says more about the difficulty of the division than it does about Cleveland.

However, Josh Kendall of The Athletic sees the Browns a bit differently.

In his recent set of power rankings heading into training camp, he has placed Cleveland a surprising sixth.

Of course, there are a couple of massive caveats in Kendall’s assessment, as he says his ranking is based on both Deshaun Watson and Nick Chubb returning to form.

It’s entirely possible for Watson, who will be ready for Week 1 after undergoing shoulder surgery. There is a bit less reason for optimism concerning Chubb, who is coming off of a devastating knee injury and does not have a concrete timetable for his return.

Even if Chubb does get back on the field early in the season, it’s hard to imagine he will immediately resemble his four-time Pro Bowl self. The unfortunate reality is that we may never see that version of Chubb ever again.

Still, there is a lot to like about the Browns.

Cleveland boasted the top-ranked defense in the NFL last season and is largely returning the same unit this year. The Browns also added Jerry Jeudy to their receiving corps, which absolutely needed some depth behind Amari Cooper. Plus, Cleveland has one of the’s best offensive lines.

The biggest obstacle for the Browns may very well be the fierce competition within their own division. The AFC North sent three teams to the playoffs last winter (including Cleveland), and the one team that did not make the playoffs—the Cincinnati Bengals—went 9-8.

All of that being said, it’s nice to see the Browns finally getting some legitimate respect from a major outlet, something we haven’t seen a whole lot of this offseason.