Nick PedoneAug 13, 2026
Reading the Browns' first depth chart, Pedone projects Deshaun Watson as the Week 1 starting quarterback, lays out the full projected starting offensive line with Parker Brailsford as backup center, expects KT Leveston to make the roster as guard depth, and names Jeudy, Concepcion, Boston and Bond as roster locks with Tylan Wallace as the fifth receiver.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Nick Pedone said
Rookie Spencer Fano will start at left tackle with Zion Johnson at left guard, Elgton Jenkins at center and Teven Jenkins at right guard with Tytus Howard at right tackle.
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- Browns Release First Unofficial Depth Chart—Analyzing the Clues
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 13
- PlayedSep 13
- GradedSep 18–25
Box score, by kind
HitCloseMissWaiting| Group | Hits | Close | Misses | Waiting | Calls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roster Spot Calls | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Depth Chart Calls | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
| All | 5 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
How each call scored
13 checkable claims — 8 depth chart calls and 5 roster spot calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 14 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
5 of 13 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 40 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 7 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands above the room on 1 and below it on 6.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Spencer Fano · 2026 season9 calls from 6 pundits between 1 and 1. Nick Pedone said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
Roster Spot Calls4 hits · 1 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
K.C. Concepcion to make the roster
“Considering Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Isaiah Bond locks to make this roster”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CLE
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- K.C. Concepcion
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Jerry Jeudy to make the roster
“Considering Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Isaiah Bond locks to make this roster”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CLE
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Jerry Jeudy
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Isaiah Bond to make the roster
“Considering Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Isaiah Bond locks to make this roster”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 100 naive = 0 × 2 difficulty = 0 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CLE
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Isaiah Bond
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
Denzel Boston to make the roster
“Considering Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Isaiah Bond locks to make this roster”
3 weeks on a 53100Hit100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CLE
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Denzel Boston
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 3
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
KT Leveston to make the roster
“KT Leveston has a strong chance to make the team as immediate guard depth”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Depth Chart Calls1 hit · 7 waitingShow ▸Hide ▾
Deshaun Watson to be 1st on the depth chart
“The team is getting Watson ready to play Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
100Hit100 − 0 naive = 100 × 2 difficulty = +200 skill
Think this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- CLE
- week:
- 1
- skill:
- 200
- player:
- Deshaun Watson
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he starts
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 0
- position:
- quarterback
- reported:
- named the starter
- settled by:
- a confirmed report from the crawl (reported outcomes)
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- no prior season — a rookie is assumed to start behind the incumbent
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks left when called:
- 18
Tytus Howard to be 1st on the depth chart
“with Tytus Howard at right tackle”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Spencer Fano to be 1st on the depth chart
“Rookie Spencer Fano will start at left tackle”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Teven Jenkins to be 1st on the depth chart
“Teven Jenkins at right guard”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Tylan Wallace to be 5th on the depth chart
“with Tylan Wallace as a strong fifth receiver that will contribute on special teams”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Zion Johnson to be 1st on the depth chart
“with Zion Johnson at left guard”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Parker Brailsford to be 2nd on the depth chart
“Brailsford will be the team’s backup center”
—WaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
- —Waiting
Not settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
The game in this take
every pundit’s pick on eachWho this take is about
K.C. Concepcion, Cleveland Browns, Jerry Jeudy, Isaiah Bond, Denzel Boston, Deshaun Watson, Tytus Howard, Spencer Fano, Teven Jenkins, KT Leveston, Tylan Wallace, Zion Johnson, Parker Brailsford, Elgton Jenkins
Others on the same people
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Joubert picks the Browns to win 28-17, saying the Saints haven't improved over the first half of the season despite Cleveland starting Shedeur Sanders.Pat McAfee · Game Outcome Picks · Cleveland Browns · Miss 0
McAfee picked the Browns, with Shedeur Sanders starting, to beat the Saints in New Orleans.Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.Mitchell Eisenstein · Game Outcome Picks · Cleveland Browns · Miss 0
Mitchell gave their Week 9 top-five power rankings, keeping Buffalo first and the 49ers second while elevating the Bears, Jaguars and Lions, and picked a slate of Week 9 games including a Packers win in New England, a Panthers upset of Denver, and blowouts for Detroit, Kansas City and Houston. They also tabbed Jonah Coleman as a late-season Offensive Rookie of the Year pick.
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Herlin published Week 7 fantasy D/ST rankings with projections for 28 team defenses, led by Houston, Minnesota and Cleveland. They also expect Cleveland to post a fourth straight top-10 fantasy defense result, and predicts Jalon Daniels starts another week for Tampa Bay while J.J. McCarthy takes over as the Giants' starter.