The Cleveland Browns may have found their No. 1 wide receiver.
Jerry Jeudy looked the part last season, although like the entire offense, he only stepped up after quarterback Deshaun Watson sustained a season-ending injury.
Jeudy showed impressive explosiveness and finally looked like the first-round selection the Denver Broncos hoped he’d play like when they took him in the 2020 NFL Draft.
However, the Browns don’t have any other guarantees at the position.
That’s why Zac Jackson of The Athletic believes that Diontae Johnson has a path to be the starting slot receiver.
“Diontae Johnson signed a one-year deal with Cleveland after the draft, and given his experience and production, Johnson is the clear favorite to win the slot receiver job. But he’s been on five teams in the last 15 months and got no guaranteed money in his deal, so his role can only be penciled in for now. Ideally, the Browns would use Johnson as an underneath option to complement Jeudy’s explosiveness and move both receivers around the formation,” Jackson wrote.
The Browns are rolling the dice on a trouble-making veteran who hasn’t been at his best lately.
He played for three teams last season and wasn’t a factor for any of them.
The Browns will be his fifth team in the past three seasons, so he may realize that this might be his final chance to prove that he still belongs in the NFL.
Johnson is a talented player who can overpower his opponent, and he’s handled a top-receiver workload in the past.
He’s also been at his worst when he’s not fully bought in.
The Browns are giving him a chance because of his upside, but the second he starts creating trouble, they can’t hesitate to cut him loose.
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