3 Cleveland Browns Players Poised For Preseason Breakout

In three weeks the Cleveland Browns will be opening up training camp at the Greenbrier Resort and the race to constructing the best 53-man roster will be on.

Despite the fact that most of the Browns starting lineup is already pretty firmed up, the preseason always comes with a number of breakout performances. Often times those players even end up making things harder on general manager Andrew Berry as he has to whittle the roster down before the start of the season.

They can also make for some of the more enjoyable storylines for fans to follow along with as they anxiously wait for meaningful games in September. As training camp approaches, here are three players poised from a breakout during training camp and the preseason.

1) WR, Cedric Tillman

I've written about Tillman's role a little bit already. All signs point to him getting a lot of reps as the Z receiver opposite of Amari Cooper during training camp and preseason. There is a lot of internal confidence in Tillman taking a leap in year two. With some belief that he may even supplant veteran wideout Elijah Moore on the depth chart. That month-plus leadup to the season will be telling in that regard. At the very least though, I expect to see Tillman build upon the increase in reps he received during spring workouts.

At 6-foot-3, 215 pounds he has the ideal stature to become a sturdy and reliable target for quarterback Deshaun Watson. For Tillman it's really about becoming more consistently reliable. During his rookie campaign in 2023 he flashed some nice moments, but also had some teachable moments where he ran a route improperly and it led to an interception, along with dropping a few passes. All part of the process of being a rookie. He'll look to be a bigger factor this season and it starts at the Greenbrier later this month.

2) CB, Cameron Mitchell

Similar to Tillman, Mitchell is entering his second year in the league and finds himself in an interesting situation as the backup to nickle cornerback and fellow Northwestern alum, Greg Newsome. Newsome is entering the final year of his rookie deal and despite rumors that he could get traded this offseason, the Browns – valuing secondary depth – opted for keeping him around.

That said, Cleveland is going to have to start thinking about what their slot cornerback spot looks like beyond 2024. As much as Berry generally tries to pay guys there's a good chance this ends up as Newsome's last year with the franchise. Mitchell very well could be the next man up and I envision the Browns doing whatever they can to find out. Mitchell will certainly see a lot of action during the preseason and will have an opportunity to stake his claim to the nickle cornerback spot.

3) LB, Nathaniel Watson

A good preseason breakout list has to include a rookie. The reigning SEC Defensive Player of the Year has a chance to make a big impact on a Browns team that isn't exactly ripe with depth at the linebacker position. He's not quick, rangy lineback in the way Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah but he's a throwback style, physically imposing style. That fact that he led the SEC in tackles last year is a testament to his ability to make plays despite some of the traits he may lack.

Where Watson has a chance to make his biggest impact will likely be on special teams, but that won't stop him from flashing some moments during training camp and the preseason. He also has a pretty unique personality that fans should love. Get to know the nickname "Bookie" cause you'll hear it quite a bit in the months ahead.