Free agent addition listed as Browns most underrated player

As we mentioned Sunday, the downtime in the NFL calendar between early June and late July leaves a lot of primetime for rankings and lists. While we may have a few of those here for you, looking at how national media outlets see the Cleveland Browns is likely of more interest at this point.

NFL free agency was a busy one for GM Andrew Berry. Dalvin Tomlinson, Ogbonnia Okoronkwo and Juan Thornhill led the early rush of players. Trades for Elijah Moore and Za’Darius Smith stole headlines later.

Given the lack of needs on the team and the later selections, the Browns NFL draft class is an afterthought, mostly, for 2023.

Touchdown Wire, a part of USA Today, posted a list of the most underrated players on each team in the NFL. For Cleveland, it is one of their new additions in Okoronkwo:

From Weeks 13-18, Okoronkwo’s five sacks and 24 total pressures had him in the NFL’s top 10 in both categories, and the development showed up on tape.

The article has a couple of great videos of Okoronkwo’s success last year.

For years, the Browns most underrated player, from a national perspective, was Joel Bitonio. Thankfully, over the last couple of seasons, Bitonio has taken his place as the best, or at least one of the best, guards in the NFL.

With the addition of Smith, Okoronkwo’s expected role as a certain starter is gone but DC Jim Schwartz will rotate his players to get the most success for the team. A double-digit sack campaign could help raise the former Oklahoma Sooners defender’s status and reputation and open up a spot for another player to be Cleveland’s most underrated.

Who do you think is the Browns most underrated player from a national perspective?