4 Bold Predictions for the Cleveland Browns in the Hall of Fame Game
• Ronnie Hickman shows out
• Kellen Mond won't go down without a fight
• Browns WR depth goes very deep
By Randy Gurzi
Cleveland Browns football is nearly here. It might be preseason football, but it's still NFL action as the Browns head to Canton to take on the New York Jets in the Hall of Fame Game.
The preseason is already considered too long by many players and these two franchises ended up with an extra game by participating this week. With the game being "extra," teams usually rest the majority of their starters and we get a battle of the bottom of the roster.
While that could limit some of the excitement, there are still plenty of reasons to watch, and here are four bold predictions for the first game of the preseason.
4. Ronnie Hickman makes at least one standout play
For years, it felt as though the Cleveland Browns actively ignored Ohio State players. There was a lot of excitement when they landed Denzel Ward in 2018 but outside of him, they haven't brought in too many prospects from OSU.
That changed this offseason when they drafted offensive tackle Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler. They then signed safeties Ronnie Hickman and Tanner McCalister as undrafted free agents.
Right now, it looks as though the two linemen will make the roster and there could be room for at least one of the safeties. The favorite is Hickman, who is a savvy player capable of finding the ball carrier in a hurry.
On Thursday, he's going to have a chance to show everyone why Cleveland brought him in. Hickman, who plays fearlessly, should get snaps on defense as well as special teams. In this prediction, he lights up an opposing player, forcing a fumble.
This might not be enough on its own to make the team but one standout play per week should be enough to put him in consideration.