Cleveland Browns breakout candidates on offense and defense

With a bunch of new guys, especially on defense, along with new systems going in, the Cleveland Browns have a plethora of players that could make a jump in 2023. We look at a player on the offensive side and defensive side of the ball that have the potential to break out in a big way in 2023.

Browns breakout candidate on offense: Elijah Moore

Elijah Moore is the darling of breakout candidates. If you look at the potential he has shown over his first two seasons, it is not hard to see why.

He gets separation, runs his routes well, and can make tough catches. In an offense with Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones, there's no pressure to be the best player on the field. Moore can relax, go out and make plays. It also does not hurt that he brings some speed along with all the other skills to the wide receiver room.

"Now, they add Moore who is smaller in stature at 5-foot-9 and 184 pounds and is much more dangerous downfield. He finished his collegiate career with some unbelievable numbers as he averaged 13 receptions for 200 yards per game in that stretch. He also offers more speed than either, reportedly hitting 4.35 in his 40-yard dash at his pro day."

- Randy Gurzi, Dawg Pound Daily

The other aspect of the offseason that opens the door for Moore to breakout is the new offense we will see in 2023. Well, maybe not new per se, but a lot more wide receivers are going to see the field for sure.

Three wide receivers should be the norm, and we have already seen some wrinkles with Moore coming out of the backfield. Can you say match-up nightmare? No pressure, being put in a position to succeed, and having all the tools sounds like a breakout season is on the way for Moore.

Browns breakout candidate on defense: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

This one might be a surprise pick for some people, but with a retooled defensive line to help, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah might find the stardom we have been waiting for. All the skills are there for him to succeed and now he has someone that can take some bodies away in Dalvin Tomlinson.

Linebackers need help to be successful, that is a fact. They need big bodies up front that can eat up linemen to allow them to stay clean and be able to flow to the ball. It doesn't matter if you have a 250-pound guy or a 225-pound guy, if the lineman up front cant hold their own very few linebackers can overcome that. Last season's defensive tackles did not help at all.

All of you that want to take a shot at the size of the Brown's linebackers, take it up with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.

"I’ve seen some 250-pound guys that didn’t have a physical presence on the field and I’ve seen some guys in their 215s or 220s that did, but I think it falls to the other things. It comes from toughness and instincts and explosiveness and the ability to play fast and think quick."

- By Ashley Bastock, cleveland.com

While JOK has dealt with some injuries his first two years in the NFL it's hard to pinpoint size as the reason. Many players deal with knee and foot injuries in the NFL.

All you have to do is look at our linebacking group last year to see injuries happen. In a defense that now plays to players' strengths with a legit front maybe this group has less traffic to fight through leading to fewer injuries and more big plays. If there is one thing we have seen from JOK is that when he is at his best he can make plays.

JOK still has the speed, the explosiveness, and the instincts to play this game. We saw what he could do in 2021 with a 76.5 PFF grade overall and while he dropped a bit in 2022 he still graded out at 65.5.

Certainly a drop from his exciting rookie year but he was still a good player. While we saw struggles at times in coverage, along with some signs of his size working against him he still made plays and showed flashes of his rookie season. With a defense that is more focused on attacking and the added talent in front of him, JOK has a chance to really shine in 2023.

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