D'Ernest Johnson

Johnson joined Jacksonville on a one-year deal in March but may have a difficult time earning a spot on the season-opening roster. The 27-year-old totaled 671 scrimmage yards and three scores for the Browns during the 2021 campaign, but he received just seven offensive touches last season while primarily playing special teams. Travis Etienne is locked in as the starter with third-round rookie Tank Bigsby also guaranteed a roster spot, leaving Johnson to battle it out for slotting with JaMycal Hasty, Snoop Conner and Quadree Ollison.

Arguably the best No. 3 back in the league, Johnson got a chance to show what he could do last year when both Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt were out midseason. As the starter Week 7 against Denver, Johnson erupted for 168 total yards and a TD, then added 157 more yards a few weeks later against the Patriots. While he doesn't have breakaway speed, he runs with impressive power and finds a way to grind out extra yards, recording 10 broken tackles on only 100 carries last year. That was the fifth-best rate in the league among backs with triple-digit carries, and only a hair behind Chubb's 9.9 carries per broken tackle. Cleveland's passing game will be a bigger point of emphasis with Deshaun Watson under center, however, and while Johnson should be effective again with his touches, he'd probably need a serious injury ahead of him on the depth chart (or a trade) to see significant volume.

By the end of the 2020 season, Johnson carved out a niche role as Cleveland's primary kick and punt returner. He appeared in all 16 games for the second straight season, and there's something to be said for being healthy and reliable. The third-year back had one big game against Dallas in Week 4 when Nick Chubb wasn't available, but his role on offense was limited once Chubb and Kareem Hunt were both healthy. The Browns drafted running back Demetric Felton, who duplicates Johnson's skills, so there may be room on the roster for just one of the two.

Johnson moved from the Alliance of Amercian Football (AAF) to the NFL prior to the 2019 season and stuck around with the Browns for the full season, appearing in all 16 games. The 23-year-old running back had some early contributions while Dontrell Hilliard (concussion) and Kareem Hunt (suspension) were unavailable, but he was mainly a special-teamer. With Hunt and Nick Chubb in place, the all-purpose Johnson, who is under team control for another two seasons, is expected to compete for the third running back job with Hilliard and could be the primary punt returner in 2020.

With Kareem Hunt serving an eight-game suspension and Duke Johnson having been traded to the Texans, Johnson faces the opportunity to carve out a reserve role behind Nick Chubb. Dontrell Hilliard appears to be ahead on the depth chart, but Johnson could see notable snaps in a high-powered Browns offense if Chubb were to miss any time.