Undeniably, the Browns' receiving room isn't the strongest on paper. Jerry Jeudy had a strong breakout year and is a great way to start the room, but the options after that are mostly unproven.
Cedric Tillman showed promise in the few games he played last year, and Diontae Johnson has a very good track record in the league prior to the 2024 season. Even if all three top options work out, none are slot receivers by trade. The best true slot option on the roster right now is 2024 fifth-round pick Jamari Thrash.
Kevin Stefanski raves about Jamari Thrash
In an ESPN article naming the biggest surprise players from the offseason program, they included a quote from Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski about Thrash. Stefanski couldn't say enough good things about the young receiver, praising the work he's put in, his positional versatility, and his feel for the game.
"He's had a really strong spring. He is here all the time working on his body. Very intelligent player, can line up in multiple positions which I think is valuable. And then he showed up, he's caught the ball well and you know the quarterbacks like how he gets open. He finds a way to get open versus zone, versus man."Kevin Stefanski
During his rookie campaign, Thrash only appeared in nine games with three total receptions, but the season was used much more like a redshirt year than anything for the former fifth-rounder. In those limited snaps towards the end of the year, Thrash aligned in the slot 93 times compared to 50 times out wide.
Zac Jackson previously predicted Johnson to win the slot job, which is somewhat interesting since he has been predominantly an outside receiver during his six years in the league. It wouldn't be surprising at all to see Jeudy, Tillman, and Johnson be the three-most used receivers, but Thrash could find his way into a role if they are insistent on having a true slot option on the field.
Considering the Browns are almost guaranteed to have a large portion of games started by a rookie, the receiving room must get to a point where coaches can truly evaluate the performances under center. Thrash could be a big part of that, as his improvement to a reliable depth option would go a long way towards ensuring the room is capable enough.