As with every NFL season, there is one or several players who breakout for their respective teams into a key role on offense or defense. This year will be no different on the Cleveland Browns as they’re several players on both sides of the ball who could have a big leap and be a key part of the team’s hopeful success on the field.

Elijah Moore, Wide Receiver

One of the Browns big acquisitions of the offseason when they traded the 42nd overall pick in the NFL Draft to the New York Jets in exchange for the third-year receiver who had a tough couple of seasons in the Big Apple as well as the 74th overall pick which eventually became wide receiver Cedric Tillman.

Moore showed potential in his rookie season with 538 receiving yards and six total touchdowns (five receiving, one rushing) but in his second year, he took a step back with poor quarterback performance and frustrations about his role in the Jets offense.

He now comes to Cleveland where he’ll be behind Amari Cooper and Donovan Peoples-Jones in the wide receiver room but it was clear during OTAs and minicamp that the Browns have a plan to showcase Moore’s speed and playmaking ability whether it’s at receiver or coming out of the backfield in perhaps a Deebo Samuel type role. Accompany that with Moore playing with a more talented quarterback in Deshaun Watson, he could very well be a vital part of the Browns offense in the short and long term future of the franchise.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, Linebacker

With all the talk about the Browns linebacker room and the lack of talent, the third-year linebacker could silence those critics if he emerges as a potential playmaker in new defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz’s scheme.

Owusu-Koramoah hasn’t lived up to the expectations that were pegged on him when the Browns got him in the second-round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He had a solid rookie campaign but last year coupled with poor performances, missed tackles and a mid-foot sprain that limited him to 11 games played.

It’s unclear what is expected of him in Schwartz’s scheme but many look to what David Long did in Tennessee as a possible comparison that “JOK” can mirror in Cleveland. In the two seasons Long played in Tennessee when Schwartz was a defensive assistant, he racked up 161 total tackles and four interceptions. Owusu-Koramoah has been solid in coverage, now if his tackling improves, he can be an impact player in the middle of the Browns defense.

Grant Delpit, Safety

The fourth-year player finally showed the Browns and the fanbase what he can be in terms of an NFL safety in his first fully healthy season in 2022.

Delpit racked up 102 total tackles and four interceptions last year including 32 stop tackles, the most by a safety according to Pro Football Focus. The downside to that was that he missed 12 tackles.

With John Johnson III departing the team in the offseason, Delpit can now officially be the main guy at strong safety which is his best suited role on an NFL defense and this being a contract year, he can now show the league the full potential he had when the Browns selected him in the second round back in 2020.

Having Rodney McLeod as a great mentor in the safety room and better coaching on that side of the ball, Delpit could make a huge leap in 2023 which could lead to a big payday next offseason from the Browns or someone else.

Jerome Ford, Running Back

The Browns fifth-round pick last year saw very limited time on offense last year and was primarily the kick return on special teams but that didn’t slow Jerome Ford down from making some sort of impact in his rookie season.

The Cincinnati product ranked third in the NFL in kick return yards (723) and sixth in yards per kick return (24.1) showing he has that ability. Ford only had eight carries on offense but it wasn’t because of his ability in that department, it’s because he had guys like Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt in front of him in the running back room.

With Hunt gone, Ford will get the first shots to be the next man up behind Chubb in the running attack with guys like Demetric Felton and John Kelly behind him barring a free agent addition.

Ford had a productive career in college rushing for 1,803 yards and 29 touchdowns in two seasons for the Bearcats and he averaged 6.3 yards per carry during the preseason last year. He has the tools to be a solid back to accompany Chubb and if history tells us anything, the wide zone scheme has produced running backs for a long time. Jerome Ford could be the next name added to the list.

Jordan Elliott, Defensive Tackle

I already know what the readers of this article are going to say. Jordan Elliott?! He hasn’t done anything for three years, why would 2023 be anything different?

Coaching matters in football.

Joe Woods and Chris Kiffin didn’t get the most out of their talent during their tenures with the Cleveland Browns and I could say Jordan Elliott is one of those examples.

In 2022, Elliott had 21 pressures for a defensive line that wasn’t all that great outside of Myles Garrett. His PFF grades weren’t all the best (40.4 overall, 33.0 run defense, 59.0 pass rush) but when his position coach had one foot out the door last offseason and decided to come back at the last minute, that can tell the tale on how the defense was last season.

Jim Schwartz raved about Elliott during OTAs and minicamp and that should probably tell people that he has something in mind for the former Missouri product. They loaded up the Browns defensive line with talent but the defensive tackle room still is questionable heading into 2023, Elliott could emerge out that room finally in what is also a contract year for him much like Delpit mentioned above.