Analyzing the Browns' snap counts vs. the Eagles

The Cleveland Browns’ second preseason matchup provided the team with a better look at where some of their position battles stand as the regular season approaches. The Browns got a look at another rookie quarterback with Dillon Gabriel getting the start, and several veteran players vying for roles on the team stepped up to the occasion during the team’s 22-13 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Let’s take a look at the snap counts from the win in Philadelphia:

Snap counts from Saturday's #Browns vs. #Eagles preseason game pic.twitter.com/Sc5Bitdwug

— Chris Easterling (@ceasterlingABJ) August 17, 2025

Offense

With quarterbacks Kenny Pickett and Shedeur Sanders sidelined with injuries, the Browns again only played two quarterbacks on Saturday. As previously mentioned, third-round pick Dillon Gabriel got the start and played the entire first half against the Eagles (38 snaps). Tyler Huntley closed out the game again for Cleveland and played the remaining 28 snaps on offense.

This time around, the most active face on offense was veteran running back Pierre Strong Jr., who is fighting for a roster spot in a crowded running back room. Strong played 65% of the Browns’ offensive snaps on Saturday (43 plays), while the rest of the team’s active running backs – Ahmani Marshall, Trayveon Williams, and Toa Taua – combined for 23 snaps.

Rookie wide receiver Gage Larvadain was again on the field for over half of Cleveland’s offensive plays, leading all receivers with 37 snaps (57% of the Browns’ offensive plays). Veterans Diontae Johnson and Jamari Thrash, who are both vying for the Browns’ third receiver spot, both got heavier workloads this week with 27 and 24 snaps, respectively. Starting receiver Cedric Tillman was active after not playing against Carolina and played 16 snaps.

After rookies Dylan Sampson and Harold Fannin Jr. each played a very small amount of snaps in the preseason opener, neither player saw the field against Philadelphia, again a sign that the team could be preparing both players for serious roles on offense when the regular season arrives. 

Along the offensive line, second-year guard Zak Zinter made his return from injury and logged all 38 first-half snaps for the Browns, alongside Luke Wypler, Jackson Barton, and Teven Jenkins. Starting left tackle Dawand Jones got limited playing time, as he saw 21 snaps (32%).

Defense

It would’ve been hard to tell live because of how active he was, but defensive end Isaiah McGuire played just six snaps for the Browns on Saturday. The former fourth-round pick had two tackles and a sack in his limited action, and is a major reason why the Browns’ defensive line depth looks so promising heading into the regular season.

Along with McGuire, veteran pass-rusher Julian Okwara also had an impressive game, recording a second-half hit on former Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson that resulted in a pick-six. Okwara saw more playing time than his fellow standout defensive lineman, however, as he played 51% of the Browns’ defensive snaps.

Leading the pack on defense was linebacker Nathaniel Watson, who played a whopping 87% of the Browns’ defensive snaps (41 plays), followed by safety Christopher Edmonds at 81%. Undrafted rookies Donovan McMillon and Easton Mascarenas-Arnold were the only other Browns to register over 60% of the defensive snaps at 79% and 77%, respectively.

Each of the three players vying for the Browns’ starting nickel spot again played a decent chunk of snaps, with veteran safety Nik Needham leading the pack at 23 snaps (49%). Cameron Mitchell and Myles Harden each played around a third of the team’s defensive snaps, with 15 and 13 snaps respectively.

Special teams

Kicker Andre Szmyt saw his first action this preseason against the Eagles. Playing six snaps, Szmyt made all three of his kicks (two field goals with a long of 49, as well as an extra point). Dustin Hopkins played four snaps and made his only attempted kick of the day, a 46-yard field goal in the second quarter.

Undrafted rookie defensive end Adin Huntington continued to play a big chunk of the Browns’ special teams snaps – 10 of them this week – but he wasn’t the team’s leader this time around. That honor went to the aforementioned Donovan McMillan, who in addition to his heavy defensive workload played 14 snaps on special teams (58% of the Browns’ special teams plays.) Okwara, Mascarenas-Arnold, and Needham also saw double-digit special teams snaps against the Eagles. Rookie running back Ahmani Marshall played nine special teams snaps in addition to his six carries for 25 yards on offense.

Special teams ability alone won’t get some of these players on the roster, but for players like Okwara and Marshall who have proven they can contribute in other areas too, those snaps could prove to be a difference-maker when it’s time to cut down the roster.

This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Analyzing the Browns' snap counts vs. the Eagles