3 Cleveland Browns sophomores who will shine in 2021

1. Donovan Peoples-Jones, Wide Receiver

Donovan Peoples-Jones might already be considered the steal of the 2020 NFL Draft for Cleveland based on two plays.

The first of those was his clutch 24-yard touchdown in Week 7 that beat the Cincinnati Bengals. Trailing 34-31 with less than 15 seconds to go, DPJ hauled in a dart from Baker Mayfield which capped off a thrilling comeback and made him a hero in Northeast Ohio.

Then in Week 12 against the Tennessee Titans, he caught a 75-yard touchdown that kept the Titans from crawling back into the game.

In all, Peoples-Jones had 304 yards on 14 receptions with two touchdowns but it was his 21.7 yards per catch that really turned heads. The former sixth-round pick flashed his deep speed as a rookie and that’s something this offense needs much more of in 2021.

While there have been talks of looking for a player who can get deep in the draft, Peoples-Jones could make the case to be their in-house option as a deep-threat. Of course, with OBJ coming back from a torn ACL, the Browns will already have one more speedster, but there’s no reason to think the second-year player can’t have a much bigger impact this season.

A full season under his belt in the NFL as well as more familiarity with quarterback Baker Mayfield will only help as the young man looks to take his next step as a pro.