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Cleveland Browns: Surprises and Disappointments at the Midseason point

By Sam Penix

Oct 25, 2020; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) and quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrate the come from behind victory in the waning seconds against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 25, 2020; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett (95) and quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) celebrate the come from behind victory in the waning seconds against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports /
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Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns. (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

Ronnie Harrison and Harrison Bryant

Every single player that rookie general manager Andrew Berry has actually sunk assets into has been performing well this season. Jack Conklin is having one of, if not the best season of his career. Austin Hooper has been a reliable target and a good blocker. Andy Janovich is not Lawrence Vickers, but he’s still a very good fullback. Donovan Peoples-Jones got an opportunity in Week 7 and made the most of it. Jedrick Wills Jr. has been one of the NFL’s better tackles in pass protection, despite switching sides from college. Jordan Elliott has been the team’s second-best DT as a rookie. Jacob Phillips is clearly the most athletic linebacker on the roster, and was making an impact before suffering a knee injury.

The two standouts from Berry’s inaugural offseason have been safety Ronnie Harrison and tight end Harrison Bryant. Harrison was a third-round pick by the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, and was solid over his first two seasons in the league. The Browns traded a 2021 fifth-rounder (acquired from the Los Angeles Rams for Austin Corbett) for Harrison, and although it took him a little while to enter the rotation, he’s been the team’s best defensive back since.

He’s primarily a strong safety, but he’s been the team’s most effective safety in coverage as well. He’s still only 23 years old and definitely looks like a player that could be in Cleveland long-term. That’s exceptional value for a fifth-round pick.

Bryant won the Mackey Award in 2019 as the country’s top tight end, but was still on the board when the Browns picked in the fourth round. The team had no intention of drafting a tight end, after signing Hooper to pair with David Njoku, but Bryant presented too much value to pass up. There have been some growing pains, like his fumble against Las Vegas, but overall Bryant has been a reliable target and a solid blocker. He isn’t exceptionally big or athletic, but he’s all-around solid. He and Mayfield already seem to have some chemistry, and he should be able to add quite a bit to his 151 yards and three touchdowns over the second half of the season.

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