4 Browns players that must come up big in Preseason Week 1

With Deshaun Watson likely missing most of the 2022 season, these 4 Cleveland Browns need to start the year out right

As the Cleveland Browns organization waits to hear the outcome of the Deshaun Watson appeal, the players continue to prepare for the regular season. There’s no doubt that Kevin Stefanski and the coaching staff have a major uphill battle with all the distractions, but we can’t forget how loaded the rest of this roster is. This team can’t and won’t mail in a season even if Watson is lost for the year.

Without your star quarterback, other guys are going to have to step up in a big way to fill the void. If the other 21 guys work together and each step up a little bit, I think this team could still be extremely competitive. The biggest issue is how loaded the AFC is in general. Even with Watson, it’s tough to say the Browns would be favorites to win the AFC.

If this team wants to have a chance with or without Watson, these four players need to step up big in preseason game one and carry those efforts into the regular season.

4 Browns that must come up big in Preseason Week 1

No. 4 – Jordan Elliott

One of the biggest issues the Cleveland Browns defense had last season was giving up big plays right up the middle. Not only was the run game a concern, but there were also a ton of screenplays that gained huge yards by the opposing offenses.

With undersized linebackers and a dime scheme with five secondary guys on the field for a lot of plays, the defensive tackles are going to have to take big strides in 2022. Jordan Elliott will be entering his third year, and after a promising rookie season, 2021 was a bit of a disappointment.

I’m hoping he has hit the gym hard and gained a lot of strength. We know Elliott is decent at rushing the passer, but he will need to be a bigger force at clogging up holes in 2022 if this defense wants to be elite.