Who Should I Start? Jamari Thrash or Tez Johnson

Wednesday, July 2, 12:31 PM

ESPN's Daniel Oyefusi writes that Cleveland Browns wide receiver Jamari Thrash, who caught only three passes as a rookie in 2024 after being taken in the fifth round, took advantage of opportunities in an unproven receiver room during offseason workouts and established himself as a reliable option in the passing game. "He's had a really strong spring," head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He is here all the time working on his body. Very intelligent player, can line up in multiple positions which I think is valuable. And then he showed up, he's caught the ball well and you know the quarterbacks like how he gets open. He finds a way to get open versus zone, versus man." Since the 24-year-old isn't really an option on special teams, he's going to need to continue standing out in training camp and the preseason to win a spot on the 53-man roster heading into the regular season.

Thursday, September 18, 10:18 AM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wideout Tez Johnson could finally get his chance to make an impact this week. The former Oregon Duck has seen just one target so far and was a healthy scratch in Week 2, while first-round pick Emeka Egbuka has commanded most of the spotlight in Tampa's passing attack. However, with Egbuka nursing a groin injury and not participating in practice on Wednesday, Johnson may find a path to meaningful snaps. The Buccaneers face the Jets this week, a defense that struggled in Week 1 to contain Pittsburgh's Calvin Austin III, who is another undersized but explosive receiver with a skill set similar to Johnson's. While Johnson remains off the fantasy radar for now, a strong showing could put him back on the map as a rookie to monitor for deeper leagues.