5 Cleveland Browns that surprisingly won’t make the Week 1 roster

1. KhaDarel Hodge, Wide Receiver

The last position that is looking very crowded at the moment is wide receiver. With a healthy Odell Beckham set to return, and the addition of Schwartz in the draft, there is a strong possibility that an experienced wide receiver doesn’t make the team.

KhaDarel Hodge has spent the last two seasons with the Browns, and he has found himself a nice role. For much of 2019, Hodge was the third receiver and he made a lot of nice plays. He has a big frame at 6-foot-2, 205 pounds, but he is very limited when it comes to athleticism.

Hodge isn’t going to separate in man-to-man coverage, but he has shown he can make the difficult catches in coverage.

Hodge, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and Rashard Higgins will all be fighting for the third receiver title, and at this moment look for Hodge to be the odd man out. Peoples-Jones showed a ton of promise last season as a rookie and has the traits of an elite NFL wide receiver.

Higgins leg up on Hodge is just his relationship with Mayfield. They seem to know what each other are thinking and have a better connection than anyone else on the team. Higgins is also limited and is a true zone receiver. That style is effective, but the Browns just have too many of those guys at the moment.

While I believe there is a real possibility that Higgins doesn’t make the final roster, I’m leaning towards Hodge being the odd man out currently. The Browns just need the group to stay healthy.