Sleeper Browns wide receiver targeted heavily through first two games of 2025

Cedric Tillman’s usage has jumped in 2025, with 15 targets in just two games.

That’s nearly one-third of his 49 targets from 2024 and already more than a third of the 44 he saw in 2023.

Of the 15 targets he has received against the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnatti Bengals, Tillman has brought down seven catches for 74 yards and two touchdowns. He is currently averaging roughly 10.6 yards per reception, which places him third on the team in his production on catches behind wideout Jerry Jeudy and tight end David Njoku.

Through the first two games of the year, veteran quarterback Joe Flacco has shared the wealth fairly equally across the starting receivers and tight ends.

Jeudy, Tillman, Njoku and Harold Fannin Jr. all have over 10 targets in 2025, with each of them hauling in five or more receptions. While Flacco's aim has wavered at times, and fingers have seemingly been buttered, the distribution of passes is promising for not just results, but development.

Tillman is in the early stages of his career, and while he is directly responsible for a Flacco interception on a dropped pass against the Bengals, he deserves as many targets as possible.

His ceiling is incredibly high as he sports a 6'3", 220 pound frame that can knock back many NFL defensive backs. This height advantage is something Cleveland has been trying to exploit for Tillman since he entered the league just a few seasons ago.

One of his major positives has been his route running and ability to block, two characteristics to his game that have grown as he becomes more comfortable in the NFL.

By being willing to block, it gives him more time to be on the field in running situations. Through the first two games, he is playing 91.3% of snaps, with Cleveland trusting he can fill a variety of roles, not just pass catching.

In 2024, Tillman finished the season with 29 catches and 339 receiving yards, alongside three touchdowns. He brought in a long of 38 yards and averaged nearly 12 yards per reception. He unfortunately missed the final six games of the year after suffering a concussion against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 12. 

In his first year with the Browns, fresh out of college from the University of Tennessee, he caught 21 passes and took them for 224 total yards.

The Browns have invested a good deal in Tillman, playing him over other young prospects and giving him notable targets in 2025. If he can start to haul in passes and extend plays down the field, there's a real possibility he becomes a staple No. 2 in the wide receiver room moving forward.

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