Browns: 3 candidates for PFF’s most improved list in 2021
3. Browns WR, Donovan Peoples-Jones
The sixth-rounder from Michigan had some huge plays for Cleveland in his debut season, and he’s certainly capable of building off what was a stellar rookie campaign.
For Donovan Peoples-Jones, opportunity will be knocking in 2021, as Odell Beckham misses the first half of the season recovering and rehabbing from ACL surgery.
That leaves DPJ as the Browns lone threat to stretch the field. We saw some of what DPJ was able to do this past season in games against the Bengals and Titans. Heck, he even had a nice 23-yard catch against the Chiefs. It always perplexed me why Stefanski didn’t try to dial up more deep throws to DPJ in that game to soften up the middle of the field.
While the Steelers are experts in plucking receivers in the later rounds ( Antonio Brown, Chase Claypool) few wideouts from late in the draft impact their teams as much as DPJ this past season.
The stats won’t make DPJ a first-round fantasy pick next season, but 16 catches for 304 yards (a nice 21.4 yards per catch average) are numbers that are begging him to be picked as the team’s mosts improved player next season.
Next. Browns 3-round mock draft projects trade up. dark
It’s been written how the coaching staff really likes how DPJ prepares, in addition to his football IQ. He could certainly put things together in year two, which would surely light up those OBJ trade rumors, yet again.