The Cleveland Browns have really not garnered a whole lot of respect from the media heading into 2024. Most have them finishing in third place or even last in the AFC North.

However, Mike Wobschall of Pro Football Network sees things very differently.

In a piece where Wobschall breaks down his projections for the 2024 NFL season, he has predicted the Browns to go 12-5 and win their division.

“Kevin Stefanski’s team finishes the regular season on a six-game heater, including an upset road victory against the Kansas City Chiefs and a prime-time win over a 14-win Dolphins team,” Wobschall wrote.

That is certainly a refreshing change from what we have seen from most other analysts, who typically are picking Cleveland to win eight or nine games and miss the playoffs.

The Browns went 11-6 and earned a Wild Card berth last year, falling to the Houston Texans in their lone playoff game.

But remember: Joe Flacco was under center for Cleveland for the final five games of the regular season, and while he did lead the Browns to a 4-1 record during those starts, his warts showed during the playoffs.

Now, Deshaun Watson seems to be fully recovered from shoulder surgery and is aiming to prove that he still has plenty left in the tank heading into what is a pivotal campaign for him individually.

In the meantime, Cleveland boasts the top-ranked defense in the NFL and also added a significant weapon in wide receiver Jerry Jeudy.

The Browns are playing in arguably the toughest division in all of football, but they should be talented enough to make some noise.