The Cleveland Browns have a winning record through eight games for the first time in years, but who are the five most efficient players so far?
It’s a pretty simple title, so let’s not mince words. This is not the Browns “five best players”, or even their “five most important players”, it’s simply stating that these are the five most productive players through the first eight games, aka the best performing. This list would look completely different if Nick Chubb, Wyatt Teller, and Odell Beckham were healthy, and if Austin Hooper and Kareem Hunt were more explosive in the offense.
That said, they aren’t. Chubb, Teller, and Beckham have all missed significant time and in Beckham’s case, will continue to. Hooper missed some time but mostly he’s just not been that dynamic in the passing game yet, while Hunt has been given the load and failed to impress. He’s by no means a bad player, but the talk of the Browns having the best backfield is in question.
With that, let’s see the five players who did make the cut.
#5 – OL Chris Hubbard
He’s not the best offensive linemen and frankly won’t have his job when Wyatt Teller comes back but he was thrust into a new position while having to replace the team’s best blocker. Sure Jack Conklin deserves love too, and if there was a “#6”, he’d be right there. Conklin is supposed to be in the top five or six players performing well, Hubbard isn’t. So that’s why Hubbard gets the little extra nudge.
Hubbard’s play has been inspiring, especially after his very bad 2019 campaign that saw many calling for him to be cut, including yours truly. The fact that they didn’t, brought him back as a backup and he’s performed as well as he has is a sign that sometimes risks pay off. Ideally, it’d be great to see Hubbard keep playing in spots, and earn himself a nice extension in Cleveland, unfortunately, it’s probably likely he’ll be seen as a starter again after his play in 2020 and will leave for that opportunity after 2021 for that chance.
It’s also likely he’s a cut or traded if the salary cap is dropped significantly. Either way, enjoy him while you can, Browns fans.
#4 – WR Jarvis Landry
This is where the offense is showing it’s wear and tear. Jarvis Landry isn’t playing like he’s one of the five best players on the team right now. He’s eight games in and has yet to post a 90-yard game and not for a lack of opportunities. While Landry has never stretched the field, having only 11.1 yards per reception for his career and at his career-best ranking just 26th in 2019 for yards per reception (64th in 2018) among qualified receivers. He’s never been this ineffective before. With Baker Mayfield having a bounce-back year from 2019, the question turns to why? Part of the reason is that the team is running more, sure.
That doesn’t account for the constant drops or his declining athletism. That has to solely fall on his hip injury, which was something often talked about in the offseason that could linger and affect him more than people realize. He’s already been listed on the injury report as having hip issues again and whether that’s a flare-up of his surgically repaired hip or a new injury is frankly irrelevant; the fact that it’s still affecting him is all that truly matters.
Landry, if healthy, one could argue is a top 10 or even top-five receiver in the league. A more efficient and trustworthy option over his friend Odell Beckham Jr., but the injury has slowed him down. He’s still leading the team in yards, and receptions despite all this, but more and more you can see Mayfield working in the tight ends and not just because it’s Kevin Stefanski’s offensive preference either. Landry’s doing the best he can, but he clearly needs more rest and time to recover than he’s getting.
#3 – TE Harrison Bryant
Andrew Berry’s first draft is still up in the air, but even if this is the best he’ll ever be, Berry found a gem in Harrison Bryant. The athletic tight end has done some impressive things so far in his rookie year and has become a favorite target of Baker Mayfield over the last few weeks before the bye week, mostly due to Austin Hooper getting hurt.
He’s second on the team in tight ends with yards (151) and tied for third on the team with receiving touchdowns at three (Kareem Hunt has four). He’s becoming more and more of a weapon for Mayfield and his size makes him too big for corners to cover and his speed makes him too fast for linebackers to cover. Consistency in his route running and releasing off the line better will come, hopefully, and if it does, he’ll be someone who won’t only push for more time but may cause the entire team to be shaken up in order to get him more opportunities.
That said, he’s still a project and there’s still plenty of work to be done. Lining him up in the slot would be a good move going forward as well.
Before you say it, yes, he’s very high, maybe too high. That said, the only other three players to even consider, Austin Hooper, Kareem Hunt, and Nick Chubb have either been ineffective (Hunt), not making big plays (Hooper), or hurt (Chubb). This is what this team looks like when guys are hurt. I don’t personally see Bryant closing out the year as a “top five guy” but he might. Anything can happen.
#2 – OL J.C. Tretter
Props are due to J.C. Tretter. Not only has he continued to play as well as he has, but he’s also done it without having much of an offseason to work with. Tretter had a knee scope that essentially caused him to miss most of the preseason and yet he hopped right into the zone blocking scheme with ease. That’s partly because zone blocking is a really easy blocking system to pick up, but also because Tretter is one of the NFL’s smartest centers.
You don’t graduate from Cornell if you’re a dummy.
Tretter has had to deal with the fact that he’s one of only two returning linemen from the 2019 season who played every game (Joel Bitnio being the other). He also had the dubious nature of lining up next to Wyatt Teller for those last eight games last year, when Teller was struggling to make an impact.
It’s fair to say that Tretter was part of the reason why Teller started out so hot before his injury. With two new tackles in Jack Conklin and Jedrick Wills joining the team, everyone not only played well but played lights out the first few games. Save for Baltimore. Then Teller got hurt. Even then though, while the line wasn’t as efficient, it was still far better than 2019 even with Chris Hubbard returning to the starting lineup. Part of that reason is Tretter’s ability to read a defense and pass out assignments.
#1- QB Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfield has been without his number one running back and offensive workhorse Nick Chubb for nearly five weeks. In those five games since Chubb went down in a close contest with Dallas, the Browns are 3-2. It’s not because Kareem Hunt is ripping up defenses either, folks. Baker Mayfield is on his way to the best season of his career.
He’s averaging over 60% of his completions for the year, a number that would be higher if it wasn’t for the fact that his receivers are having a case of the drops. He’s on pace to throw for 30 touchdowns, and etch his name alongside past greats like Brian Sipe for being one of only a few men to ever throw for 20+ TDs in three straight seasons. At this rate, the Browns may also make it into the playoffs, something only Tim Couch has been able to guide a team to since Bernie Kozar did it in the ’80s and way-early ’90s.
While Weeks 5 and 6 saw Mayfield struggle, which was in part due to severe rib bruising that affected his movement and breathing. Now that he’s healthy, he’s shown great zip on his passes and remarkable accuracy. He was poised for a huge game against the Las Vegas Raiders, but his receivers couldn’t catch anything, and his defense was absolutely brutalized. The Browns only had six drives that entire game, the lowest the team had ever had in 30 years.