Rashard Higgins

Higgins is back with the Browns this season on a one-year deal after putting up a career-high 599 receiving yards during the 2020 season. He reeled off his 37 receptions at a clip of 16.2 yards per catch last year, but the return to health of Odell Beckham in the fall will relegate Higgins to No. 3 in the wideout pecking order, with Jarvis Landry also in the mix. Moreover, Higgins will have to compete for complementary snaps with returnee Donovan Peoples-Jones and rookie speedster Anthony Schwartz. All told, it's a context that caps his volume, so long as the team's top duo remains available.

Higgins developed chemistry with quarterback Baker Mayfield in 2018 when the two were second-teamers, but his 2019 season ran afoul early. A Week 1 ankle injury caused Higgins to miss a few games and eventually became the source of a rift between the wideout and then-head coach Freddie Kitchens. The situation devolved from there -- just two catches and eight targets over the final nine games. However, he'll get a second chance to compete for the third wideout job, as general manager Andrew Berry, who was on the Browns' personnel team in 2016 when the organization drafted Higgins in the fifth round, re-signed the 25-year-old to a one-year deal.

A fifth-round pick in 2016, Higgins enjoyed a breakout season last year, compiling career highs in receptions (39), yards (572) and touchdowns (4). He was set to battle Antonio Callaway for the No. 3 receiver job, but the competition ended early when the NFL handed Callaway a four-game suspension. Now locked in for regular snaps in an explosive offense, Higgins has a nice chance to take another step forward in the final year of his rookie contract.

Higgins entered training camp battling for his roster life, but he now seems to have a shot at the No. 3 job . The 2016 fifth-rounder had an excellent opportunity in 2017 to display his talent when Corey Coleman went down with a hand injury, but aside from a handful of quality games, Higgins was largely disappointing. The 6-1, 198-pound receiver caught 27 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games last season, but seemed to have a hard time creating space and separating himself from defenders. With Corey Coleman traded to Buffalo and Antonio Callaway in danger of being suspended, Higgins could push for a regular spot in three-wide formations alongside Jarvis Landry and Josh Gordon.

A fifth-round selection last year, some had higher expectations for Higgins during his rookie season, which ended with six receptions on 12 targets for 77 yards in 16 games. Now with Terrelle Pryor, Andrew Hawkins and Gary Barnidge all elsewhere, Higgins will have a better chance to shine as he is expected to compete with Ricardo Louis for the No. 3 spot on the depth chart. However, the Browns are littered with young, unproven talent at wideout this year, so if Higgins fails to capitalize on his opportunities it could be a long fall down the pecking order.

Higgins was the fifth and final receiver selected by the Browns in this year's draft, picked in the fifth round, 172nd overall. The former Colorado State standout finished his collegiate career as the university's all-time leader in receptions, yards, and touchdowns. While the 21-year-old has upside, his biggest challenge next season will be sticking out in a crowded receiving corps headlined by the likes of Andrew Hawkins and fellow rookie Corey Coleman.