3 Browns players whose stock is skyrocketing in preseason

The Cleveland Browns have already played three of their four preseason games in 2023 and the roster/depth chart is already starting to take shape. Although every team has preseason Cinderella stories to monitor, some guys end up carving out significant regular-season roles and opening a lot of eyes with what they do throughout the exhibition season.

The Browns are certainly no exception there and they have a big enough sample size from some of these guys to really make confident decisions. A number of players have really stood out for the Browns team, skyrocketing their stock.

Let's take a look at three players who have impressed in a big way so far in the 2023 preseason.

3 Cleveland Browns players whose stock is skyrocking in 2023 preseason

1. Austin Watkins, wide receiver

Austin Watkins has been good enough in the 2023 preseason to get himself a Baldy Breakdown.

The 6-foot-3 receiver is playing in a crowded position group with the Cleveland Browns right now, but his preseason is working in his advantage thus far. As any coach will tell you, you're out there auditioning for all 31 other teams even if you don't make the roster you're currently on, so Watkins isn't going to be out of work long if he doesn't end up cracking the Browns' 53-man roster.

The former UDFA out of UAB initially signed in 2021 with the San Francisco 49ers. He spent some time with them as well as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers before floating around other professional leagues like the CFL and USFL before being released to pursue NFL opportunities. And he's been making the most of this one.

Watkins looks really impressive through the first handful of preseason games this year with Cleveland, catching 15 passes for 245 yards and causing Browns fans to wonder -- will this be the end of the line for Donovan Peoples-Jones? Would the Browns really let go of David Bell just to keep Austin Watkins?

You never know what NFL teams are going to do but obviously, Watkins has established himself as a strong roster candidate and further muddies the waters at receiver for the Browns.

2. Dawand Jones, offensive tackles

Fans of the NFL Draft got a really great matchup between Cleveland Browns rookie Dawand Jones -- one of the top-rated tackles in the class -- and Philadelphia Eagles rookie pass rusher Nolan Smith on Thursday night.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com pegged Jones as a round 1-2 prospect before the 2023 NFL Draft and had this to say about him in his scouting report:

"Massive right tackle with rare length but limited athleticism that impacts his consistency. Defenders accustomed to winning with power will need to switch up their approach against Jones. His physical traits help cover up some of his athletic deficiencies, while his power can be better unleashed with accurate hand strikes and a run scheme tailored to what he does best. The former high school basketball standout has decent slide quickness in protection but is unable to find his feet when attempting to match inside counters or stall out gaming fronts. Jones is a work in progress with holes that will have to be covered up with scheme help, but he should become a starting right tackle if he maintains the playing weight his team desires."

Lance Zierlein, NFL.com

It's rare to see an offensive tackle get so much publicity in the preseason unless it's for negative reasons. Oftentimes, you're hearing about offensive tackles in the preseason if they are struggling, but not with Jones. He's pushing for a starting role sooner rather than later and although anything dramatic feels unlikely, would the Browns consider moving someone like Jack Conklin? Financially, that just doesn't really add up, but you never know.

At any rate, Jones is good enough to perhaps get looks at left tackle at some point if Jedrick Wills struggles. Whatever the Browns decide to do here, I think there's no question that Jones has proven to be one of the team's most impressive players this training camp/preseason, and he's proving he might be worth making a drastic kind of move to get on the field.

At this point, it's all a question of timing. The Browns can be patient with him in his rookie season unless they determine they simply can't live without him in the starting lineup. It's a great luxury for this team to have.

3. Cedric Tillman, wide receiver

Cedric Tillman will end up being one of the greatest gifts the football gods have given to the Cleveland Browns in all of history.

Okay, all kidding and hyperbole aside, Browns fans should be very excited about their top draft choice in the class of 2023. It's not often your first pick isn't until round three, and you are still able to get a player as good as Tillman has been for the Browns so far.

The Browns had to upgrade their wide receiver room in 2023, and they have taken a creative route to doing so. They added Austin Watkins in a relatively risk-free move. They brought in Elijah Moore in the trade with the Jets, who were apparently dumping good players at one point this offseason. They drafted Tillman in round three.

There will certainly be moments where Tillman looks like a rookie out there, but the Browns have an established veteran go-to in Amari Cooper to take pressure off of the rookie. They've got Moore out there. Tillman is not exactly the kind of rookie you're going to need to just "pick your spots" with throughout the course of a game, but he also doesn't need 10 targets to be effective.

He can go off for 100 yards on just three catches with his combination of size, speed, and catch radius. Or, he might catch just a couple of passes with a touchdown as a red zone weapon. One way or another, I think throughout the course of training camp and preseason, you're seeing the vision for Tillman unfold with the Browns and he's one of the young players on this team to be most excited about.