Jamari Thrash continues to make case to make Browns roster against Seahawks | Takeaways

SEATTLE — Jamari Thrash's status on the Browns was probably established before the rookie wide receiver started Saturday's preseason finale at the Seattle Seahawks . It didn't hurt that Thrash, in a 37-33 loss to the Seahawks , did his part to at least give the Browns a chance to leave the Pacific Northwest with a win.

The fifth-round pick out of the University of Louisville accounted for the Browns' first touchdown when he pulled in a 46-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson with 10:31 remaining in the second quarter. It was one of Thrash's four catches for a team-high 73 yards in the game.

"I had a double move," Thrash said of the touchdown. "I just really just ran it off of the corner and then I saw the safety bite down, so I knew the ball was coming to me. DTR did a good job of putting the ball where it needed to be and let me run up under it."

A touchdown was about the only thing Thrash was missing from his first NFL preseason. He came into the final exhibition game second in the preseason in both catches (six) and receiving yards (68) on the team, but hadn't reached the end zone.

Thrash admitted getting that score was something he wanted to add to his total.

"Yeah, it been a while since I've been in the box," Thrash said of getting into the end zone, "so felt pretty good to get back in there today."

The Browns have until 4 p.m. Tuesday to whittle their roster down to the 53-man limit, at least the first iteration of that roster. There were going to be some difficult decisions along the margins before Saturday's preseason finale.

Thrash, though, may have only added to the difficulty general manager Andrew Berry has in deciding what wide receivers stay or go. There appears to be four "locks" — Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman — with some tight battles elsewhere, including Thrash, David Bell, Michael Woods II and James Proche II.

The fact Thrash was starting along with Moore and Tillman on Saturday can be taken, if one chooses, as a good sign for the rookie. He's not counting himself there just yet, though.

"I feel like there’s always room for improvement, there’s always something I could do better," Thrash said. "I’m still learning. I’m still kind of learning from my mistakes."

Za'Darius Smith, Grant Delpit help Browns defense continue to 'polish'

There were certainly a number of key Browns defensive players not playing against the Seahawks. There were plenty who were among those who got in a couple of series of work Saturday night.

Defensive ends Za'Darius Smith and Ogbo Okoronkwo both started for the Browns, as did safeties Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill. Defensive tackles Shelby Harris and Quinton Jefferson are both expected to be regulars in that rotation as well.

The Browns did give up an opening-drive touchdown to the Seattle starting offense, with Geno Smith hitting DK Metcalf for a 21-yard touchdown. The drive took just five plays to go 62 yards.

Smith, who hadn't played previously in the preseason, reiterated what he had said early in the week — he needed the snaps after missing time in training camp with a knee contusion.

"I got a chance to have some live reps against their ones," Smith said afterward. "It felt good. I think I played like 10 snaps, but I felt great about my 10 snaps."

Delpit was one of the few Browns starting defenders who played in multiple preseason games. He had talked earlier in the week about the "polish" they needed to put on the defense before the Sept. 8 season opener against the Cowboys.

The fact that a number of starters did not play in the preseason wasn't a concern for the fifth-year safety.

"It's hard to gel as a whole unit in preseason, so we try to develop individually," Delpit said. "This is an everyday practice thing. This is just what we see in practice."

Dustin Hopkins gets back on the field in time for regular season

There may have been a touch of concern about the "minor injury" kicker Dustin Hopkins had been battling through during the preseason. Hopkins, though, may have also put those concerns to bed with his abbreviated showing in Seattle.

Hopkins made his preseason debut against the Seahawks, kicking a 37-yard field goal early in the second quarter to pull the Browns within 7-3. He also kicked off to the Seattle 3 on the subsequent kickoff, showing the placement no doubt expected with the new kickoff rule.

"He wanted to," Browns coach Kevin Stefanski said of Hopkins kicking before the regular season. "He wanted to get at least one kick in there."

Hopkins, who was signed to a three-year extension last month, hadn't kicked for the Browns in a game since suffering a hamstring injury in a Dec. 24 game at the Houston Texans last year. He was 8 of 8 last year on field goals from 50 yards or longer, something he showed again during warmups Saturday with at least one from 58 yards.

Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Jamari Thrash continues to make case to make Browns roster against Seahawks | Takeaways