3 Cleveland Browns to watch in Preseason Week 3 against the Eagles

1. Austin Watkins, Jr., Wide Receiver

Every year, someone comes out of nowhere to be the Browns training camp superstar. In 2023, that player has been Austin Watkins, Jr.

Signed by Cleveland following a successful stint in the USFL, Watkins has been turning heads with one great play after another. This week against the Eagles, it was a one-handed grab he made that set social media ablaze.

But he's been more than just a guy making plays in practice. Watkins has delivered during the games with eight receptions on 10 targets for 106 yards and a touchdown. That touchdown even proved to be the deciding score in their win over the New York Jets.

On Thursday, he should again have plenty of opportunities to impress the coaching staff against the Eagles. The only question is whether or not that will be enough.

Cleveland is suddenly deep at wide receiver and Watkins remains behind Amari Cooper, Donovan Peoples-Jones, Elijah Moore, Cedric Tillman, and David Bell on the depth chart. When Marquise Goodwin returns, he too will likely be ahead of Watkins.

The problem is, he's done well enough that it might be hard to stash him on the practice squad. If he goes out and performs well against the Eagles, he could wind up forcing the Browns to keep him on the 53-man roster in fear of him being snatched up on waivers.

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