The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Peoples-Jones enters spotlight
Michigan product moves up WR depth chart; Stefanski: ‘Mr. Reliable’ can line up anywhere
Fair or unfair, Donovan Peoples-Jones lasted until the sixth round of the 2020 draft where the Browns selected him with the 187th overall pick because the knock on him was he was inconsistent at Michigan.
“D onov a n Pe ople s -Jone s didn’t quite have the production at Michigan given his status as a five-star recruit and No. 1 wide receiver in his class coming out of high school,” the pre-draft scouting report from thedraftnetwork.com on Peoples-Jones said. “That said, his quarterback play has been dreadful and it limited his ability to be more productive.
“Peoples-Jones has many qualities that make him an appealing NFL prospect and likely a better pro than college player. His hands, ball skills, size and athletic ability all shine on tape.”
General Manager Andrew Berry dismissed the criticism of Peoples-Jones on the day the Browns drafted him.
“I just remember him telling me, he gave me a handshake and said, ‘Go be great.’ That meant a lot coming from him.” – Donovan Peoples-Jones, on Odell Beckham Jr.
Berry said Peoples-Jones might have slipped to the sixth round because the 2020 draft was deep at wide receiver. Nor would Berry speculate on what PeoplesJones’ ceiling in the NFL might be.
Whatever the case, the 6-foot-2, 212-pound rookie’s
time with the Browns has arrived — earlier than the script called for, perhaps.
A season-ending knee injury suffered Oct. 25 by Odell Beckham Jr. in the game with the Bengals elevated Peoples-Jones to third on the depth chart at wide receiver behind Jarvis Landry and Rashard Higgins. Peoples-Jones did not have an NFL catch until midway through the fourth quarter in Cincin
nati, but he caught one on a pass from Landry and then caught two more in the game-winning drive. His third catch in tight coverage was for the touchdown that put the Browns ahead for good, 37-34, with 11 seconds left.
“We were in there around (Beckham) during halftime, and it was just hard — hard for him, hard for all of us, hard seeing him in pain and in distress,” Peo
ples-Jones said Oct. 26 on Zoom. “I just remember him telling me, he gave me a handshake and said, ‘Go be great.’ That meant a lot coming from him. I respect everything that he and Jarvis do. That was a real surreal moment.”
The clutch catch against the Bengals will not be the rookie’s only moment in the spotlight, from what Coach Kevin Stefanski said Oct. 26 in his own Zoom call, al
though Peoples-Jones might have difficulty matching it for drama unless he makes a game-winning catch against the Steelers or Ravens or makes one in a playoff game. The coaches have multiple ways they can use Peoples-Jones when they put together the game plan for the Raiders on Nov. 1 and remaining games on the schedule.
“Really proud of how he played (against the Ben
gals),” Stefanski said. “It wasn’t the first game action for him, but getting his hands on three balls and making plays was great to see.
“He’s Mr. Reliable. He can line up anywhere, a very intelligent player. To see him go make a play with the ball in the air was outstanding. There are going to be opportunities for him moving forward just like that.”