3 Cleveland Browns players who could emerge as alphas in 2021

Three Cleveland Browns players who could become stars this season

If the Cleveland Browns want to win the Super Bowl in 2021, they’ll need some guys to step in in a big way. Here are three players who are poised to take the next step to stardom.

3. S Ronnie Harrison Jr.

The Browns safety room in 2020 was projected to be rather thin. And then-rookie Grant Delpit tore his Achilles. Needing a warm body, general manager Andrew Berry sent the 2021 fifth-round pick acquired for bust offensive lineman Austin Corbett to the Jacksonville Jaguars for Ronnie Harrison, who was heading into his third campaign.

Despite subpar play ahead of him, Harrison logged only 25 defensive snaps over the first four games of the season. After that, he was one of the team’s most important defenders, providing very good play for a secondary that desperately needed it.

Harrison provides a good combination of instincts and physical tools, and he has a very versatile skillset, one that should be taken better advantage of in 2021 with more talent around him. He just turned 24 years old in April and is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so he’s got a lot of money at stake this year. It’s entirely possible that he plays well enough to price himself out of Cleveland’s range, as ideally John Johnson III and Delpit are the two starting safeties.

However, defensive coordinator Joe Woods likes to play with five or more defensive backs more than he uses three linebackers, so the third safety spot is essentially a starting position. Harrison’s ability to fill multiple roles — deep free, box, blitz, two-high, slot, etc. — makes him an ideal part of this secondary long-term. If he can stay healthy this season, he should be a breakout star, able to thrive in this system with the talent added at other spots.

2. LT Jedrick Wills Jr.

When the Browns took Jedrick Wills 10th overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, it was a foregone conclusion that he would be the opening day starter at left tackle, the team’s true successor to future Hall of Famer Joe Thomas. Having played right tackle in college, growing pains were to be expected, especially in pass protection. Wills’ tenacity and aggressiveness in run blocking were expected to translate immediately, and he’d at least be better than what Greg Robinson gave the team in 2019.

Wills’ transition went better than many thought it would. He was one of the league’s better pass protectors, which was a pleasant surprise. The starting offensive line didn’t play too many games together, but when they did, they were the best group in the NFL. Wills had a lot of help, but he exceeded expectations himself.

Two areas where Wills needs to improve are his run blocking and his internal clock. It certainly seemed like the coaches prioritized getting his technique up to speed on the left side as a pass blocker, which is understandable. Wills’ run blocking in college was dominant, but he was far less effective as a rookie. That should change as he grows more comfortable both as a left tackle and within Cleveland’s scheme, and he did show a degree of improvement as the season went on.

It also appeared that Wills often thought too much instead of just playing. There were plenty of times where he seemed to give up on the play earlier than he should have, leading to Baker Mayfield getting hit, or a running lane closing up just as the back was about to hit it. Wills’ effort was excellent in college, so that’s not a concern. It’s likely that he was just focusing too much on remembering his timeline for each play rather than simply reacting to what was happening on the field.

If Wills can get better at these two things, he can be one of the NFL’s premier tackles, which is probably not what even the front office envisioned him becoming when they took him, at least not nearly this quickly.

1. WR Odell Beckham Jr.

Odell Beckham is the definition of an alpha, but statistically, he’s not been himself since 2016. In his four ensuing seasons, he’s missed 28 of 66 games and was rarely healthy in the games he did play. A groin issue hampered him in 2019, but in his six games in 2017, he played great. The basic stats may not show it, but he created separation at will. He was constantly open downfield, and tore up one of the NFL’s premier secondaries against the Baltimore Ravens.

The problem is that Beckham’s healthy games in 2020 coincided with Baker Mayfield’s worst stretch of his career. It’s entirely fair to say he was bad for most of his first six outings, and that has nothing to do with Beckham as many like to assert.

It isn’t Beckham’s fault that Mayfield wasn’t comfortable in the offense, was a mechanical mess, and didn’t know where his eyes were supposed to be, whether off the snap or through his progressions.

When Mayfield did target Beckham, he didn’t do it well. This includes both throwing to Beckham when he wasn’t open, and not giving him a chance to catch the ball; less than 56% of his targets were catchable, which is a horrible rate.

It’s been less than 250 days since Beckham tore his ACL against the Cincinnati Bengals, and by all accounts, he is knocking his recovery out of the park. Mayfield ended 2020 on a torrid pace, and with the benefit of not having to learn a new offensive system during the offseason for the first time as a pro, he should hit the ground running in 2021.

That, combined with a fully integrated and fully healthy Beckham should give that pair a great chance to reach the heights that they can, which is one of the NFL’s most explosive QB-WR duos. Beckham’s list of doubters grows by the day. It’s time for him to prove he’s still a Hall of Fame talent.