This Browns rookie UDFA surprise might force a roster shakeup

The wide receiver position is an interesting one for the Cleveland Browns. Jerry Jeudy is back for Year 2 with the Browns, Cedric Tillman is hoping to grow into a more legitimate threat, and the team brought in Diontae Johnson to round out the starting trio.

A name that not many people might not know but might want to start paying attention to is Luke Floriea, an undrafted free agent who is already stealing the spotlight at training camp. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN attended Browns training camp last week and dubbed Floriea as his "camp sleeper".

"My camp sleeper is 5-foot-8 receiver Luke Floriea, who made the 90-man roster off a rookie minicamp tryout in May. A few months later, the Browns are having a hard time keeping him off the field. "We can't guard him right now," a team source said of the former Kent State standout."

Luke Floriea is making a strong argument to stick on Browns roster

Floriea spent five seasons at Kent State and found the end zone seven times during the 2024 college football season. He went undrafted this year and, as Fowler noted, made the 90-man roster after impressing the team at the rookie minicamp tryout. The quote about the team not being able to guard Floriea bodes well for the Kent State product but is it going to be enough to earn him a roster spot?

The problem here is that the Browns already have five receivers who are either locks or close to being locks to make the roster. Jeudy and Tillman are locks. Johnson has done well for himself this summer despite the noise surrounding bringing him in. Jamari Thrasher is a project who should make the team. DeAndre Carter is a big piece on special teams, which rounds out the wide receiver position at five.

The majority of teams carry six wide receivers on their 53-man roster, so that'd leave one more spot. Sure, Floriea could snag that final spot, but Gage Larvadain, another fellow UDFA rookie, has also been showing up big at training camp. Kaden Davis is in the mix here as well.

It's always impressive to see these undrafted guys come in and make a name for themselves, but Floriea has his work cut out for him for sure. The Browns have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks, but if Floriea can continue to separate himself from the rest of the wide receiver pack, maybe he can get bumped up to the 53-man roster and avoid the practice squad destination.