5 Cleveland Browns whose stock is up early at 2021 Training Camp
1. Cleveland Browns WR Donovan Peoples-Jones
Donovan Peoples-Jones stood out on the first day of practice, and what we saw wasn’t a fluke. The second-year wideout seems to make a couple of plays per day, which may indicate he’s ready to take a step forward in year two.
DPJ had just 14 catches a season ago as a rookie, but some of those receptions came at premium times, like when he made the game winning catch against the Bengals in Cincinnati. If Peoples-Jones misses that–the playoff fortunes of last year’s squad may have drastically changed.
Additionally, DPJ had that big catch in Kansas City in the Divisional round when it looked like the Browns were really struggling to stretch the field. Not sure why they didn’t look at him more.
Now, DPJ is fighting to be the third receiver on the field when Kevin Stefanski goes with three wideouts. With his speed, matched what he’s doing in practice, he’s got to have the edge over Rashard Higgins at this point.
All of Browns town is hoping for a big season from Odell Beckham Jr. this season, but realistically, guys returning from ACL injuries don’t typically go on to be All-Pros. That’s not to say he won’t contribute, rather, it’s a reminder of where the bar should be set.
It’s another reason to be excited about DPJ, as the Browns will need a great deal of fire power to keep up with their AFC rivals in 2021.