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3 Browns players who need to step up in Preseason Week 2

By Eddie McDonald

Jul 27, 2022; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (10) takes a pitch from quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 27, 2022; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns wide receiver Anthony Schwartz (10) takes a pitch from quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during training camp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Browns, Alex Wright. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

No. 2: Alex Wright

When Cleveland drafted defensive end Alex Wright with the 78th pick in this year’s NFL Draft, they had high hopes for him. He was a guy many Browns fans fell in love with prior to the draft and ended up getting their wish. He won’t be in any danger of not making the roster, but his performance left a lot to be desired against the Jaguars.

Wright finished with an assisted tackle and looked like a rookie would look in his first professional game. He still has a lot of room to grow and adapt, but last Friday was not a good first impression.

Again, he will make the roster as a third-round pick, but he’ll need to hit the film room and absorb any and all information he can get from the likes of Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney.

What was good for the Browns and not necessarily for Wright is the fact that seventh-round pick, Isaiah Thomas out of Oklahoma, played extremely well. Thomas finished with a game-high two sacks and also recorded three tackles. Thomas proved that he is on his way to a roster spot and potentially a rotational spot if called upon.

Thomas playing so well in his NFL debut is a good thing for the Browns and it could very well be a good thing for Wright. He won’t want to get passed on the depth chart, so this could motivate him to step his game up. The hungrier the player, the more it means to him to learn from his mistakes and get better.

The joint practices this week with the Eagles, who the Browns play this weekend, should be a good starting point for Wright to learn a little bit more and improve his game.

Stefanski loves to utilize the joint practices to get a better grasp on who he can and cannot rotate into live game action. A less-than-stellar performance for Wright isn’t going to get him cut, but it will force him to step up his game if he wants to be a key rotational player for the Browns this upcoming season.

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