Cleveland Browns: 3 Standouts from live scrimmage at First Energy Stadium

RB D’Ernest Johnson

The Browns have the league’s best backfield in the form of the Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt duo, but behind them is a competition for the team’s third running back. Dontrell Hilliard and D’Ernest Johnson have been putting in the work to earn this role, as well as a special teams role that will come along with it; this battle has been neck-and-neck all training camp long, but it appears Johnson may be pulling away.

Johnson was on the receiving end of a handful of catches out of the backfield, and even one where he found his way to the endzone, making the leap into the Dawg Pound afterward. The former Alliance of American Football leading rusher has shown his ability to make crisp and efficient cuts and a burst through the opening holes as a runner as well.

If Chubb and/or Hunt need a breather or are faced with an injury, having a back with Johnson’s versatility off the bench is a much-needed asset for any team, and while the battle between him and Hilliard rages on, Johnson seems to have stepped into the lead. This is certainly one of the more exciting camp battles to watch, and one that will likely go down to the wire.