Browns 2023 Regular Season Awards

We're taking one last look back at the regular season by dishing out some accolates before turning full focus over to the playoffs.

The Browns regular season is over and the playoffs are officially up next, but before we fully flip things over to the postseason, we're handing out some accolades to the players who highlighted Cleveland's incredible 2023 regular season.

Offensive Player of the Year

Spencer German: TE David Njoku

All the debate over whether or not Njoku deserved top five tight end money is for the birds now. This man burn his face off and still went out and led the team in receiving in Week 4. He's put up career numbers with 81 catches, for 882 yards and six touchdowns (all career highs). He's top eight in yards after catch this season. And maybe most important of all, he is one of the beating hearts of the gritty, just "find a way to win" mentality that has defined the 2023 Cleveland Browns. Did I mention he made his first Pro Bowl? Njoku has officially arrived.

Dec 28, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku (85) runs with the ball after a catch against the New York Jets during the first half at Cleveland Browns Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Anthony Poisal: WR Amari Cooper

Who would've thought at any point this season, one in which the Browns deployed five different starting QBs, that Cooper would build the best season of his nine-year career? He set a career-high in receiving yards and managed to establish almost immediate chemistry with every pass-thrower the Browns put under center. Cooper might still appear underrated among other NFL wide receivers, but he will never be viewed that way in Cleveland.

Anthony Moeglin: WR Amari Cooper

Cooper opened up as a player and as a teammate in 2023. he became a leader of this team and of this offense and is a big reason why the Browns are in the playoffs. He set a career-high in receiving yards with 1,250 and kept the offense together amidst all of the quarterback turnover.

Defensive Player of the Year

Spencer German: DE Myles Garrett

Don't need to beat a dead horse here. There's no other answer. The guys is the best player on this team and has a case for best in the entire league. With a proper defensive line around him (shoutout Andrew Berry) we've been gifted proper context to just how impactful he is.

Anthony Poisal: DE Myles Garrett

Not much more needs to be said about this one. The marriage of Jim Schwartz and Garrett literally couldn't have gone much better, and it might lead to both guys winning awards as Assistant Coach of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively, at NFL Honors next month.

Anthony Moeglin: DE Myles Garrett

Garrett's full potential was unlocked this season under defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz. He was relentless, wrecked games, tortured quarterbacks and led this team to the playoffs. No. 95 stood out this year as the most impactful player in football.

Rookie of the Year

Spencer German: OT Dawand Jones

His rookie campaign was cut short by a knee injury about five weeks ago now, but Jones imprint on the 2023 season can't be understated. As a fifth-round pick he there were minimal expectations on him, which he quickly exceeded as soon as he was thrust into action in Week 2 after Jack Conklin's season-ending injury. This feels like the obvious answer.

Anthony Poisal: OT Dawand Jones

Even though he hasn't played since Week 13, it's still Jones, who wowed everyone by starting games — and playing well — at both tackle positions. He squashed any questions that followed him after he was drafted about his commitment to football, and he's set to become a key piece at the tackle position in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.

Anthony Moeglin: S Ronnie Hickman

Ronnie Hickman was thrust onto the scene against Jacksonville and was more than a bandaid in an injured secondary. He got his opportunity and has excelled on the back end of the Browns' defense when they needed it most. Hats off to the undrafted free agent Hickman for proving that he has the potential to be a long-term member of this defense.

Most Improved

Spencer German: LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah

The first two seasons of JOK featured a lot of ups and downs, but Jim Schwartz defense has truly unlocked the versatile player Cleveland was hoping for when they selected him in the second round of the 2021 Draft. He was in the backfield constantly week-after-week. It's obvious that the ability to play freely and think so much has worked wonders for him.

Anthony Poisal: CB M.J. Emerson Jr.

A lot of defensive players could be slotted here, but Emerson can't be overlooked and was certainly worthy of a Pro Bowl selection, too. He didn't allow a touchdown all season and has already amassed over 25 pass breakups in his two-year career, which is unheard of for a cornerback drafted in the third round. He hasn't missed a game due to injury in his career, either, which is remarkable at a position where injuries are common. It felt as though Emerson took a big step this year, and more recognition will come his way if he performs well in the playoffs and in 2024.

Anthony Moeglin: TE David Njoku

Sometimes the winner of this award goes from a bad year to a good year. This isn't the case with Njoku. Over the past couple of seasons, Njoku has been very good for this Browns' offense. In 2023, Njoku became a star. He is the heart and soul of this team and he never allowed the year to come off the train tracks.

Unsung Hero

Spencer German: QB Joe Flacco

I need a category to recognize Flacco and this feels like the right space for that. No one expected the 38-year-old, free agent castaway to show up in Cleveland in Week 12 and provide anything of consequence to this team. Yet here were are, four straight games with 300-plus passing yards later and Flacco is a phenomenon in this town. What a story he's been. And it's not over yet. 

Anthony Poisal: QB Joe Flacco

It's obvious. The NFL has never seen a 38-year-old revive his career the way Flacco has. What he's done for the franchise in 1.5 months of work is beyond words, and Cleveland needs to keep enjoying the ride with him now while they can.

Anthony Moeglin: Corey Bojorquez

In a season that featured many bad offensive performances out of the Cleveland offense, Corey Bojorquez put together an All-Pro type of year punting the football. Bojorquez finished the year as the eighth-best punter with a 49.4 average and finished fifth with 31 punts inside the 20. A tip of the cap to Bojorquez for being a star in his role.

MVP

Spencer German: K Dustin Hopkins

Because, why not? Okay, okay, Garrett is the real MVP. But Hopkins deserves some love here because without him the Browns aren't even sniffing the playoffs. Hopkins won four games this year with field goals in the final minute or drive of the game (49ers, at Ravens, Steelers, Bears). A 39-38 win over the Colts also could have gone much differently without his four field goals, including three from 50-plus range. If not for a hamstring issue over the final three weeks, he'd have likely passed Jim Browns for the most points scored in a single season in franchise history. That's not nothing.

This Browns have been looking for a kicker for over a decade and they finally have one. I refuse to let that be glossed over.

Anthony Poisal: DE Myles Garrett

He's been one of the most double-teamed edge rushers in the league, yet he still finds ways to barrel through to the quarterback at key moments nearly every week. Defending Garrett for a full game might've been the hardest task for an offensive coordinator in the NFL this year, and the Browns absolutely need him to keep being disruptive to have success in the playoffs.

Anthony Moeglin: QB Joe Flacco

Joe Flacco is 4-1 as the Browns starter and has unlocked an element of the Browns offense that we didn't know was there. Cleveland has become a vertical passing attack and one that no team wants to face right now. With Flacco at the helm, the Browns aren't just happy to be in the playoffs. They have their eyes set on the Lombardi, and Flacco has the tools to get them there.