Candidates to be Browns Punt Returners for 2020
Here are the main candidates to return punts in 2020. Of course, it is always possible that the team will pick up someone who is not even on the roster right now, but here’s what it looks like to this fan:
1. Donovan Peoples-Jones led the Big 10 in punt returns three years in a row, although he only led in yards per return once, with a career-best 10.0 in 2018. He has taken two punt returns to the house in his college career (I forget the name of his school, or otherwise I would mention it).
The Browns would love to see Peoples-Jones take control of the position to replace the slower Dontrell Hillard and also reduce wear-and-tear on Jarvis Landry, but it remains to be seen whether Peoples-Jones is up to the challenge.
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2. Dontrell Hilliard returned most of the punts last season (15 of 23) and was okay with a 7.1 average yards per return. Hilliard is not going to make anyone forget about Josh Cribbs, but he got the job done last year.
3. JoJo Natson is a return specialist with 61 NFL punt returns under his belt, and 35 kickoff returns. He is listed at 153 pounds, which is not much more than the Ice Cube, Gerald T. McNeil.
Natson has averaged 7.7 yards per return, which a little better than Hilliard. He’s a wide receiver also, but has never taken many snaps with offense, usually just special teams.
4. Jarvis Landry was the emergency return man last year. He had enough on his plate catching passes with the offense, but is more dangerous than Hilliard. The Browns really don’t want to use him as a return man, but he is more than capable.
5. D’Ernest Johnson has a similar skill set to Hilliard’s. He’s a good returner and also performs well in punt and kick coverage, and can be a change-of-pace running back. His 40-yard dash time is a matter of some controversy, as ESPN lists him at 4.55 and yet other sources say he ran 4.81 at his Pro Day.
If he is really that slow, it is difficult to believe that he made the Cleveland Browns at all. He should be out racing glaciers or something. He wound up in Freddie Kitchens’ doghouse for some reason last year; or you could say he did not pass his audition.
6. Taywan Taylor returned a few kicks last season but was unimpressive. Taylor is reputed to be very fast, faster than his Combine time of 4.50 ( he reportedly once ran 4.33 in college). Maybe so, but the coaching staff did not feel the vibe for Taylor last year. He has an uphill fight to retain his roster spot.