2019 NFL Power Rankings: Los Angeles Rams in good shape with free agency underway

5. Cleveland Browns

That’s right, the Cleveland Browns of all teams are sitting this high up on the list, which is crazy to think about when taking into consideration where they were around this time last year.

Despite going 1-31 over the previous two seasons, the Browns seemed to finally be ready to take the necessary steps in 2018 to potentially be a sleeper in the AFC. Winning only seven games may not seem like that big of a deal, but for Cleveland, this was a huge step in the right direction for a team previously known as the laughing stock in the NFL.

All those years of failing to find a reliable quarterback seemed to pay off in the best way possible after looking at the potential displayed by Baker Mayfield as a rookie. And now that Mayfield has one of the league’s most talented receivers to work with thanks to the Odell Beckham Jr. trade, the sky seems to be the limit for the Browns next season.

Just the thought of Beckham joining an offense that was already on the rise thanks to players like Jarvis Landry should have any team in the NFL on high alert. While there are no guarantees that Cleveland will succeed since this is a new kind of pressure, it’s still exciting to see the Browns finally be in this position.