Ranking the Browns’ position groups heading into the 2021 season
September 7, 2021Josh and Joe preview the 2021 Browns season
September 9, 2021Just a few days left until the Cleveland Browns take the field in Kansas City to face the Chiefs in the season opener of the 2021 season. It has been an exciting offseason after coming off a 2020 season where the Browns made the playoffs and won their first playoff game in more than a generation. The team has added to this playoff squad with some big-time signings and draft picks. So, we are finally here. The season is upon us. Before we get to Sunday, let’s take a look at my predictions for the Browns season awards for the 2021 season.
Most Valuable Player
Myles Garrett
Edge rusher Myles Garrett is the best player on the entire Browns roster and he will show it this season. Everything is lining up for Garrett to have his best year yet and it could be historically good. With Jadeveon Clowney on the other side and a much-improved secondary, the unit around Garrett will help him raise the edge rusher’s game even more. His value is the most important to the roster. If he is out of the lineup, the defense suffers greatly. This was shown last season when he was out with Covid and then suffered to get back into form afterward. Nothing could replace his talents. I believe Garrett will smash the franchise’s single-season sack record of 14 sacks and could threaten the NFL season record of 22.5 sacks. That is how much of an impact I think he will make this season and why he will be the MVP for the Browns this season.
Offensive Player of the Year
Baker Mayfield
I know many will pick running back Nick Chubb for this award, but I believe quarterback Baker Mayfield will be the offensive player of the year even over Chubb. Like Garrett, everything is lining up well for Mayfield. He finally got an offseason under the same coaching. He has his entire offensive line and pretty much every skill position player back on offense. And, he is coming off a finish to the 2020 season where he played like a top ten quarterback in the league. I believe the comfortability in the offense will allow Mayfield to expand what he can do in the scheme, including creating more big plays for the offense. These reasons are why I believe the Browns’ offense will be led by Mayfield and their success will be in very large part to Mayfield’s performance. The quarterback will be the offensive player of the year for the team and put himself firmly in the conversation of one of the best young sign callers in the league.
Defensive Player of the Year
Myles Garrett
Obviously, if you win the MVP of the team, you will win the defensive player of the year award. And, that is what Garrett will do this season. As I have said above, Garrett’s presence in this defense is monumental to their overall success. He is the best player on the roster and the biggest game-changer on the defense. I believe Garrett will not only win the defensive player of the year award for Cleveland, but also the entire NFL. I expect a huge year for the dinosaur expert.
Most Improved Player
Donovan Peoples-Jones
Cleveland has a lot of players who could fit in this category, but I believe receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones will be at the top of the charts for this award. Peoples-Jones showed a lot of promise in his rookie season last year, more than most would expect from a rookie sixth-round pick. And, he has seemingly built upon that rookie success this offseason. He has come into camp in great shape and has created a lot of buzz about how good he has played in training camp. So, going off last season and how he has looked this preseason, I believe he will be the most improved player on the roster. I think he will earn more and more time on the field even with Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry in the same unit. The skillset and talent were always there, it was just a matter of putting it all together and being in the right situation. He is in a perfect scenario in terms of this offense, so I believe he will blossom this season.
Comeback Player of the Year
Odell Beckham Jr.
This is probably the easiest award to give out. Receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is coming back from a season-ending injury that cut his 2020 season to just seven games. He seems to be in great shape and primed to start in Week 1. That in itself puts him in a prime position to win the comeback player of the year award. But, I also believe a year under his belt in the offense, along with a comfortable Mayfield at quarterback, Beckham and Mayfield should be in better lockstep than they have shown at any time during their partnership. With the offense in Year 2, I believe we will see a true Odell Beckham Jr., one who looks like his New York Giants form. And, that is a scary thought for defenses.
Offensive Rookie of the Year
Demetric Felton
The main competition for this award will be running back Demetric Felton and receiver Anthony Schwartz. I think both will make some plays this season to help the offense, but overall I believe Felton will get more opportunities leading to more chances to be successful. With his versatility of playing receiver and running back, along with returner, Felton will likely see the field the most out of all the rookie offensive players. The Browns look like they love Felton’s talent and want to use him all over the field to utilize his playmaking ability. He could be a nice gadget player who can be put into numerous situations where Cleveland wants to create a mismatch. I expect a fun season from Felton.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Greg Newsome II
Cornerback Greg Newsome is the expected starting outside corner opposite Denzel Ward. That in itself puts him in line to get the most chances of winning this award. But, I also believe the talent is undeniable. Newsome excels in mirroring the receiver and showing off his fluidness in coverage. With Ward on the other side, Newsome will likely be tested often as a rookie, giving him a lot of opportunities to show what he has and to make some plays. Linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah will give Newsome a run for his money for this award, but Newsome should be the best rookie on defense and the rookie with the opportunity to play right away.
Best Performance by a Newcomer
John Johnson III
I believe the addition of safety John Johnson cannot be understated. He should have the biggest impact of all the new additions to the Browns roster. He will provide much-needed leadership to the defense, especially the secondary. But, his play is the most important aspect. He is a versatile safety who excels in coverage. His presence will help out the rest of the defense because the rest of the defense will know Johnson is backing them up behind them. It cannot be understated how much a player like Johnson was missing from last year’s defense, so I expect big things from the Browns’ new safety.