The Cleveland Browns are on the hunt for their next quarterback as the draft cycle begins its final approach. Rumors, private workouts, and pro days have dominated the news over the last several days.
While finding new players to add to the roster is always more exciting, the development of young players already here is just as important. There are several players that could take a huge leap forward for the Browns this season.
The obvious choices would be Mike Hall and Cedric Tillman for a breakout year. One could argue that Tillman broke out last year with his impressive stretch in the middle of the season and Hall showed flashes of being a dominant disrupter in the middle of the defensive line.
Unfortunately, there are concerns about each player medically coming in next season. There are a few other candidates that are poised to gain more playing time and could be competing for starting jobs at some point in the season:
C Luke Wypler
NFL: Preseason-Cleveland Browns at Philadelphia Eagles Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Wypler missed all of last season after getting rolled up during the preseason. He should be fully recovered with another year of development under his belt.
He should be given every opportunity to compete for the starting role with Ethan Pocic at the center position during training camp.
CB Myles Harden
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Harden was drafted in the 7th round of last year’s draft and wasn’t able to play until the final five games due to a shin injury. He flashed during camp prior to the injury, and we should expect him to take another step forward this year.
He is best suited to play the nickel and has the athletic profile to be pesky in coverage and blitz from the slot in third-down pressure packages.
DT Jowon Briggs
NFL: Cleveland Browns Training Camp Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
Briggs spent most of last year on the team’s practice squad before earning his shot at the end of last season. He displayed an ability to be stout in the run game and create penetration to collapse the pocket for opposing quarterbacks.
Maliek Collins has been signed to replace Dalvin Tomlinson as a starter but Briggs should see plenty of snaps in the rotation with Shelby Harris.
Are you excited to see these guys play next year? Are there other players that should have been included in this list? Let me know in the comments below.