Three members of this year’s Cleveland Browns team appeared in Pete Prisco’s Top 100 list appearing on CBS Sports. This is just the opinions of one individual, with that particular person having his fair shore of hot takes, but this list is still notable.
Honorable Mention
Before getting into which players made it, there is one who just missed the list, Denzel Ward. Ward did have a down year, but he still one of the better corners in the league. With eight cornerbacks appearing in the Top 100, Ward’s relegation to Honorable Mention is not that big of a shock.
49. Joel Bitonio
Browns left guard Joel Bitonio is ranked number 49 on Prisco’s list. Bitonio is the second-highest guard on the list, only behind Dallas’ Zack Martin at 25. Four other guards do appear in the Top-100 grouped between 59 and 80. Prisco had the following to say about Bitonio.
On a Browns line hit by injuries last season, he was the steady force, starting all 17 games. He is equally good in the run game as in pass protection.
Short and to the point, but without getting into a full blown offensive line breakdown session, it is difficult to say a whole lot about play at the guard position.
33. Nick Chubb
The third-highest running back on the list is Nick Chubb. The two running backs ahead of the Browns star are San Francisco’s Christian McCaffrey at 27 and Tennessee’s Derrick Henry at 30. Five other running backs appear after Chubb, all but one being outside the Top-50 (Jonathan Taylor, 36). This is what Prisco noted about Chubb.
Chubb had his best season in 2022, rushing for a career-high 1,525 yards while scoring 13 touchdowns. He continues to be the focal point of the Cleveland offense.
That last part, “the focal point of the Cleveland offense” has been true for quite some time. That may change with the Browns now having a full season of Deshaun Watson as their starting quarterback, but still expect Chubb to carry a heavy load offensively.
5. Myles Garrett
Top-five seems right for Myles Garrett. There is only one other defensive player ahead of Garrett and it happens to Nick Bosa coming in at fourth overall. Coming in second to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year is not too bad in the grand scheme of things. Garrett is one of the best defensive ends in the league and his on-field production has certainly shown it, Prisco makes sure to mention exactly that.
He tied for second in the league in sacks with 16 and remains one of the most dominant edge players in the league. Now that they’ve added some pass-rush help, his numbers might be even better this season.
The Browns defense has always gone where Garrett has taken them. This is something that can only be applied to a select handful of players of which Garrett is one. Cleveland’s success or failure defensively is ultimately tied to Garrett, but the aforementioned “pass-rush help” should lessen the load on his shoulders week-in and week-out.
