4 Cleveland Browns in second season under pressure after 2022 NFL Draft

There are several second-year Cleveland Browns returning this season with more pressure on them to make the team. Will they all survive those final cuts?

When you get drafted in the NFL it’s likely a huge highlight of a young player’s career. They’ve dreamed of playing in the NFL and they’ve finally made it. The season that follows is one of getting their feet wet and trying to impress their new team and begin making a name for themselves.

The Cleveland Browns had several newly drafted players from a year ago but now these players will have a bit more added pressure on them because of the next batch of drafted players and some of the other new free agents that have signed with the Browns this offseason.

Let’s take a look at several second-year players for Cleveland that had some nice moments for the team last season but will now have to do even more if they want to secure of spot with the team.

Cleveland Browns player No. 4 with pressure on in Year 2: Demetric Felton

There was a lot of excitement a year ago when Demetric Felton was drafted by the Browns in 2021. His versatility was an advantage for the young player. He played both as a running back and wide receiver for UCLA and continued to do so in the pros. He also fielded kicks and there was a feeling especially early in the year that he’d was a steal in the draft.

He was drafted in the sixth round at pick No. 211, so he wasn’t that highly ranked in many collegiate rankings.

The trouble for Felton going into this next season is that the Browns have signed a new kick returner Jakeem Grant and they also drafted a talented new receiver in David Bell. In addition, they added a running back named Jerome Ford from the University of Cincinnati.

Felton was Mr. Versatility last season. He had 18 catches that included two touchdowns. His primary place on the field was on special teams where he caught 32 punts for 227 yards. he also fielded nine kickoffs where he took one back 28 yards.

However, now with the signing of Grant and the drafting of Bell where does Felton fit? How will he separate his talents from the rest of the group? He was a late-round pick a year ago and despite showing glimmers of talent the Browns went out and made these additional moves to shore up their special team’s unit.

His best chance at staying with the Browns is to become a regular wide receiver but with Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, and newly drafted Bell in the mix, it’ll put Felton and the next Cleveland second-year player we discuss in a bit of a bind, and they should be worried on making the final roster.