Second-year receiver Cedric Tillman is becoming a popular pick to be a breakout player for the Cleveland Browns this coming season.
While Amari Cooper was holding out from the Cleveland Browns' mandatory minicamp as he awaited a contract extension. His teammate Cedric Tillman was trying to help make up for his absence.
“I don’t believe Ced missed a day of the offseason program,” Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said of Tillman. “He was here every single day. I know he got better because of that. And I think he got better in the weight room, got better in the meeting room, definitely got better on the grass.”
The second-year receiver by way of Tennessee has been the subject of heavy praise this offseason. Despite a lackluster rookie season where the former third-round pick recorded just 224 yards on 21 receptions, he is now expected to leap forward this season.
While the Browns already have their top three receivers in Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, and Elijah Moore, Tillman can still be their fourth receiver. At 6-foot-3 and 213 pounds, Tillman would give the Browns another vertical threat on the perimeter to pair with Cooper while allowing Jeudy and Moore to play their roles in the short and intermediate passing games.
However, Tillman possesses the frame to play on the outside and boasts speed, which proved vital to his success in college.
Playing in a "deep-choice" offense, which was predicated on a lighting-fast no-huddle tempo and a passing game that relied on the speed of the receivers to take the top off of defenses, Tilmman thrived, recording a career-high 1,081 yards and 12 touchdowns on 64 receptions during his junior season in 2021.
Within that success, the Browns can find a formula to help Tillman thrive this coming season. No, they will not overhaul their offense to fit one player. However, they could certainly implement plays into the game plan that play to Tillman's strengths as a vertical threat.
That, combined with the improvement Tillman has shown this offseason, which is likely a byproduct of having a full year to digest the little intricacies of an NFL playbook, is why he is becoming a potential favorite breakout candidate.
