As TE Jordan Akins went through blocking drills with Mike Vrabel during practice, he led the charge of the Browns tight end group.
On Wednesday, head coach Kevin Stefanski said TE David Njoku would be out for the second week of the season with an ankle injury. He's considered week to week as he works to come back from the injury that he sustained during Week 1 of the regular season.
With Njoku out, it opens an opportunity for Akins to step into a bigger role. It's one that he's held throughout his career during his five-year stint with the Texans before he came to Cleveland in 2023 to back up Njoku.
"I'm ready. It's nothing new to me," Akins said. "I don't feel like we'll lose any fire, or we'll lose any momentum. We're going to rally behind Deshaun Watson and make plays and score touchdowns for him. So, I feel like it's going to be positive."
Check out photos of the team working to prepare for their game this week against the Jacksonville Jaguars at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus
Offensive tackle Dawand Jones (79) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Safety Rodney McLeod Jr. (12) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Running back Pierre Strong Jr. (20) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Tight end Jordan Akins (88) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Defensive end Ogbo Okoronkwo (54) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Wide receiver James Proche II (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson (94) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Khaleke Hudson (39) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Linebacker Luji Vilain (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver James Proche II (11) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Defensive end Za'Darius Smith (99) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Quarterback Jameis Winston (5) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Winston Reid (59) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Defensive tackle Siaki Ika (62) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Director of Strength and Conditioning Larry Jackson during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Tight end Cameron Latu (82) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Running back D'Onta Foreman (27) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson (17) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Running back D'Onta Foreman (27) and Assistant Special Teams Coach Stephen Bravo-Brown during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Running back Jerome Ford (34) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Pass Game Coordinator/Wide Receivers Coach Chad O'Shea during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Tight end Cameron Latu (82) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive Line Coach Andy Dickerson during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. (71) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Linebacker Luji Vilain (98) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. (23) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Safety Ronnie Hickman Jr. (33) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Safety Grant Delpit (9) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Greg Newsome II (0) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Defensive end Sam Kamara (92) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Safeties Coach Ephraim Banda during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Kadarius Toney (87) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Elijah Moore (8) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive guard Wyatt Teller (77) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Tight end Blake Whiteheart (86) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (3) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver Cedric Tillman (19) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Bubba Ventrone during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Nathaniel Watson (40) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks (58) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive guard Joel Bitonio (75) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Wide receiver David Bell (18) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 11, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Assistant Special Teams Coach Stephen Bravo-Brown, during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 12, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Offensive guard Zak Zinter (70) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Wide receiver Amari Cooper (2) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Tight end Geoff Swaim (84) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Center Ethan Pocic (55) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Offensive tackle Jack Conklin (78) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Mike Ford Jr. (31) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Cameron Mitchell (29) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
Cornerback Kahlef Hailassie (25) during practice at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on September 13, 2024.
In Week 1 against the Cowboys, Akins finished the game with three receptions for 27 yards, with his longest reception of the day at 13 yards.
The Browns' active roster features just two tight ends in Njoku and Akins, with three others on the practice squad in Cameron Latu, Geoff Swaim and Blake Whiteheart. Cleveland could use one of its two elevations to add depth behind Akins in the tight end room. But offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey believes Akins can fill the role that spot at tight end.
"Jordan can step in and do a lot of great things for us as well," Dorsey said. "No one player is built the same. But I think that we've got a group of guys in that room and collectively as an offense, that are going to be able to step up. And that's what football is."
Akins has experience playing with Watson back in Houston, where they overlapped in his first three seasons in the league from 2018-20. During those seasons, Akins compiled 90 receptions for 1,046 yards and three touchdowns.
He then signed with the Browns in 2023 and finished the 2023 season with 15 receptions for 132 receiving yards.
"Just knowing each other's skill, knowing our strengths and knowing our weaknesses, basically, we'll be on one accord," Akins said. "I know the play is never dead when he has the ball in his hand. I kind of know how to maneuver on the field when he's going, he runs it, or he looked like any running, and next thing the ball is in your hand. So, I think, we got to get in a rhythm and get the offense going."
In his first season in Cleveland, Akins expanded his role to be more of a blocking tight end. Akins, who was drafted by the Texans in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, originally came out of college as a receiver and returner. Akins said he was utilized out in space and the Texans gave him choice routes. When he came to Cleveland, Akins filled a more traditional tight end role.
"Last year I was like the blocker," Akins said. "I definitely took it as a challenge and I'm very confident in my blocking now. I definitely have come a long way with blocking and the new skills and sets that since I've been with Cleveland that they've taught me, they just put me in better position and better techniques to be successful as a blocker. So, I'm very confident in the blocking game and the pass game as well."
He continued to develop his blocking skills over the course of the 2023 season, and Akins feels like he's grown into being a true tight end. He saw the addition of those skillsets as an important step for his game.
Now, as the Browns head into Week 2 against the Jaguars, Akins sees an opportunity to put those skillsets to the test once again in a more featured tight end role.
"I love it," Akins said. "I love to get my hands dirty, and I love to make plays through the air, so I'm looking forward to the game."
