Ranking and grading each Browns rookie from the 2021 NFL season
By Chad Porto
6. WR Anthony Schwartz – No. 10
- Drafted: Round 3, Pick 91
- PFF Score: 57.4
- Stats: 14 games, 174 total yards, 1 total touchdown
- Grade: D
The third-rounder from Auburn came in with such hype. So much hype that even I thought he’d have a good year. That he’d be the real play-maker this passing offense so desperately needed. Anthony Schwartz had a 4.3 40-yard-dash for crying out loud. He can run 100 meters in 10.7 seconds. The kid is liquid lighting in a spray-on bottle. He’s magic.
He was also injured to start the season and then suffered a concussion; so unlucky was also something he was. When Schwartz was on the field his speed was met with indecision and uncertainty. A lot of his routes were run sloppily at best, and when he did manage to find himself near a ball, he would just as likely drop it as he would….well….drop it.
See, he didn’t do much. Despite being targeted 23 times, he only caught 10 of those passes for just 135 yards. Now yes, Baker Mayfield had a bad shoulder which affected his play and Case Keenum has the noodliest of noodle arms, sure. That really doesn’t excuse Schwartz, however.
It may further highlight the issues with the offensive scheme, however. Even when Keenum was in, the Browns didn’t test the deep field very often, and when they did it was seemingly to Donovan Peoples-Jones.
Schwartz made no impact and that’s going to hurt his standing. Even if it wasn’t entirely his fault.