Why Andrew Hawkins Is Cleveland Browns' Best Bet at No. 1 WR

This time of year, NFL rosters are a fluid thing, but it's even less set in stone for the Cleveland Browns than many of their counterparts. It will be some time before a depth chart truly takes shape, which means a number of positions remain up for grabs as OTAs give way to minicamp and later to training camp in July.

That means that everything, including the top wide receiver job, has yet to be claimed. But the top man for the job is Andrew Hawkins, the Browns' leading receiver from 2014.

Hawkins caught 63 passes last season for 824 yards and two scores. He led the team in yards after the catch with 364 and accounted for 44 first downs, the most of any Browns receiver or running back. He went from being a marginal slot receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals for three seasons to an integral part of Cleveland's offense last year. 

Tgts.	Rec.	Rec.%	Yds.	YPR	TDs	1st D.
113	63	55.6%	824	13.1	2	44

The Browns brought on two free-agent wide receivers during the offseason—Dwayne Bowe, formerly of the Kansas City Chiefs, and Brian Hartline, formerly of the Miami Dolphins. Though both have proven themselves as talented players, their pedigrees should not prevent Hawkins from regaining the No. 1 wideout mantle for 2015.

Hawkins was Pro Football Focus' 11th-best wide receiver last year, grading out better than the likes of A.J. Green and Brandon Marshall, all while having a shaky quarterback in Brian Hoyer (and a few snaps played by Johnny Manziel as well). Though he didn't score many touchdowns, he consistently moved the chains for the Browns and played bigger than his 5'7" height would otherwise indicate. 

That size is what kept him in the slot for the Bengals, but the Browns saw more potential in him split out wide. The only knock against that is that he was not targeted deep very often, with Pro Football Focus tallying just 11 passes thrown his way that traveled more than 20 yards in the air. But that can also be pegged to Cleveland's quarterback situation and not any issues with Hawkins getting down the field—he's a fast receiver, after all. 

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Further, Hawkins' yards-after-the-catch ability makes him an asset for the Browns in 2015, as it did last year. With Hawkins making his big gains on the ground, there is less pressure on the quarterback to have to carry the offense with deep passes. That is a benefit to Josh McCown and Manziel, because no matter who starts for the Browns this year, the focus will be on limiting mistakes in the passing game.

Bowe and Hartline don't have the same yards-after-the-catch skills. Bowe totaled only 237 yards after the catch in 2014, and Hartline had 139. Both have roles to play as deep-threat receivers, but with Cleveland's passing game not hinging on the deep ball, it is Hawkins that emerges as the most valuable of the three.

Though it may appear that Hawkins became Cleveland's top wideout last year because it had few other options, the reality is that the Browns coveted Hawkins' skills and saw him as a major part of their offense. This should not change just because Bowe and Hartline are in town. Hawkins simply does his job too well to warrant a demotion this year.