Although Kevin Stefanski dubbed the Hall of Fame game Preseason Game 0, a handful of Cleveland Browns rookies made the most of the opportunity in front of a national audience. The Browns didn't make a selection until the third round for the second year in a row, but a pick from the third, fourth, fifth and sixth round had a strong debut.
Cedric Tillman, the top pick of the Browns 2023 draft class, looked comfortable in his debut. He was able to get open, taking advantage of his size and strength to catch a few passes, but the Browns used motion to put him in position to be a key blocker on running plays as well. His size continues to stand out against NFL competition.
Tillman's stat line wasn't anything to write home about, catching two passes for 35 yards, but he looked the part. As preseason rolls along, expect him to get more targets.
The Ohio State rookie offensive linemen had as strong of a night as anyone in the game. Dawand Jones faced off against Bryce Huff and Jermaine Johnson, two Jets pass rushers that are expected to be big contributors this season. Jones showcased quick feet and took advantage of his immense size to short circuit pass rush efforts.
The Browns also took advantage of his power in the running game. Kellen Mond converted a 4th-and-1, sneaking behind Jones and the Browns did not hesitate to run right, which keyed a few big runs. Given his success at Ohio State, it's not a big surprise. Jones was outstanding the past two seasons in Columbus and he doesn't need to get bigger or stronger.
Jones went wire to wire, playing the entire game and was a major reason the Browns were able to find success offensively.
Wypler had to wait his turn to enter the game as Nick Harris started the game, but he stood out. The Browns ran a seemingly endless number of screens, which allowed Wypler showcase his mobility. He's quick to get down the field, stay under control and hit moving targets.
When uncovered, Wypler was quick to the second level. He never stops working, keeps his feet driving to the whistle in an effort to finish blocks. The knock coming out was his lack of trunk strength and there are times when he does get jostled in blocks. Nevertheless, the early returns were promising.
Dorian Thompson-Robinson had to wait until the second half to enter the game, but he found success both with his arm and his legs. Perhaps dealing with some nervous energy, he was a little off the mark in his first drive, but made up for it by scrambling for first downs to extend the drive, which was capped off with a touchdown run for his former UCLA teammate Demetric Felton. DTR got involved throwing a block on the play.
In the fourth quarter, DTR was able to move the ball through the air. In combination with some effective runs by fellow rookie Hassan Hall, DTR went four for four on the drive, finishing with a 22-yard touchdown strike to Austin Hawkins Jr., who had only been in camp a few days prior to this game.
DTR's accuracy wasn't great as several passes were underthrown causing receivers to go to the ground while catching them, but his reads were right and he threw a strike to Watkins for the touchdown.
DTR threw a whopping 10 passes, completing 7 of them for 75 yards, running three times for another 29 yards, but he led the Browns to a pair of touchdown drives, giving them the lead and ultimately the victory. It wasn't pretty, but the offense stayed on schedule, worked their way down the field and had no issues getting into the end zone. The Browns won 21-16.
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