5 Bold predictions for Cleveland Browns 2022 season

4. Amari Cooper tops 100 receptions, 1,300 yards, 10 TDs

Cleveland’s trade for Deshaun Watson got all the press but it wasn’t the only move they made in an effort to improve their offense. The Browns also traded a fifth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for Amari Cooper.

This was easily one of the biggest steals in recent memory. Cooper is a four-time Pro Bowler with 7,076 yards and 46 touchdowns in his first seven seasons. He’s one of the more precise route-runners in the NFL, making him a perfect fit for Kevin Stefanski’s offense.

Dallas felt they could move on from Cooper due to the emergence of CeeDee Lamb, plus they had to make cuts since they gave Ezekiel Elliott one of the more comically awful contract extensions in the history of the game. Their mistake is Cleveland’s gain as Cooper was still better than anyone the Browns had in 2021 despite that being considered a “down season” for him.

Cooper finished with 68 receptions for 865 yards with eight touchdowns. That included him hauling in a five-yard game-winner from backup Cooper Rush against the Minnesota Vikings last season.

In addition to being able to haul in the clutch reception, Cooper is a stud when it comes to making sideline catches, and did this often with Dallas.

This season, he’s going to be the No. 1 wideout for the Browns and should see more targets than he did with the Cowboys the past two seasons. He’s also shown he can work with backups since he had Andy Dalton for the majority of the 2020 season and played well for Rush last season.

With that being the case, look for him to quickly become Brissett’s favorite target, as well as Watson’s when he returns. The extra attention is why this prediction has him catching more than 100 passes for 1,300-plus yards and double-digit touchdowns.