4 Bold Predictions for the Cleveland Browns in the Hall of Fame Game
• Kellen Mond won't go down without a fight
• Browns WR depth goes very deep
By Randy Gurzi
2. Jaelon Darden takes one to the house
When entering the NFL in 2021, Jaelon Darden was seen as a potential return man and gadget player. At 5-foot-8 and 174 pounds, he's not the biggest wideout but he was a production machine for North Texas.
He got his shot with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who took him in Round 4. He was even their primary punt returner for a while with 50 returns for 472 yards as well as 426 yards on 21 kickoff returns. He wasn't used in offensive packages much during that time and finished with 82 yards from scrimmage.
Tampa Bay wound up moving on late in the year and the Browns were able to bring him in. Darden played two games with Cleveland and had 15 yards on two punt returns.
Now heading into his third season in the league, he finds himself fighting for a spot in a very deep receiving corps. To make matters worse, he can't rely on his return skills alone since Jakeem Grant, a former Pro Bowl returner, is also on the roster.
With all that being the case, Darden has a huge opportunity in front of him. Starters will already be out for most of the game — if not all of it — as will Marquise Goodwin who was supposed to be their field stretcher. In addition to that, Mike Harley, Jr. suffered a concussion and might not suit up either.
This means Darden has a huge opportunity to prove himself on Thursday. It's not out of the question that he makes this roster and this prediction is that he scores a touchdown — either as a receiver or returner — and opens up some eyes in the process.