Browns WR Diontae Johnson predicts Kenny Pickett to win starting QB battle
The Cleveland Browns made small moves at the wide receiver position this offseason, their biggest being the addition of former Pro Bowler Diontae Johnson. And Johnson has a prediction for who will win the Browns' quarterback battle, going with his former and again current teammate Kenny Pickett.
Johnson stated, "I think they're going to roll with Kenny for right now,' while speaking with host Stephen Garcia on The Comeback.
Johnson and Pickett played two seasons together with the Steelers from 2022-2023. During that time, Johnson racked up 137 catches for nearly 1,600 yards and five touchdowns while catching passes from Pickett. More importantly, Johnson saw a massive 137 targets during Pickett's rookie season in Pittsburgh.
The former Toledo Rocket is looking for a fresh start in Cleveland after a forgettable 2024 season where he burned through four different locker rooms. He was traded from the Steelers after a disgruntled offseason, then he was cut by the Carolina Panthers, Baltimore Ravens, and Houston Texans throughout the season.
Whether it is Pickett or Joe Flacco or one of the two rookies who starts for the Browns, Johnson has a real opportunity at resurrection in 2025, given the lack of moves made to that room this offseason. We'll see if he can take advantage.
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School: Oklahoma Position: Guard NIL valuation: $755,000 Aaliyah Chavez was ranked as the No. 1 recruit by 247 Sports in the Class of 2025, allowing her to profit before she entered college. It was rumored that she was commanding a $1.5 NIL package before committing to Oklahoma over Texas. It was also reported that she was expected to agree to an NIL deal with Jordan Brand shortly after committing to Oklahoma in March. School: USC Position: Guard NIL valuation: $739,000 NIL has also allowed JuJu Watkins to profit early in her college career. After being named a consensus first-team All-American as a freshman for the 2023-24 season, Watkins became a fixture in State Farm ads. Watkins also has reported deals with Nike, Fanatics, Mondelez, United Airlines, Spotify, AT&T and Gatorade, among others. In fact, Watkins starred in a Gatorade ad alongside Bueckers and Cooper Flagg that aired during the men's and women's NCAA Basketball Tournaments in March and April. As Watkins rehabs from an ACL tear, she has been viewed as one of the future faces of the sport, and she has two years of eligibility remaining. School: Iowa State Position: Guard NIL valuation: $412,000 Jada Williams has earned a handful of reported NIL deals that date back to before she began college in 2023, agreeing to partnerships with Overtime, Nerf, Lace Clips, Lemon Perfect, Spalding, Bumble, Gymshark and more. Williams averaged 12.7 games as a sophomore in 2024-25, transferring from Arizona to Iowa State. School: Alabama A&M Position: Guard NIL valuation: $299,000 One of the few players from a mid-major school to appear on any of these lists, Shelomi Sanders — the daughter of Colorado football coach and NFL legend Deion Sanders — has collected a handful of NIL deals from notable brands through the end of her sophomore season. She has reportedly agreed to deals with Dexcom U, EA Sports, Meta, Instagram, KFC and more. School: UConn Position: Guard NIL valuation: $218,000 Azzi Fudd was collecting NIL deals even before she helped UConn win a national championship in 2025. The No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2021, Fudd notably signed a deal with Under Armor to reportedly join Steph Curry's personal brand as a freshman . Fudd has also reportedly received deals with Chiptole, TikTok, American Eagle, TIAA, Nerf, Buick, Bose, Door Dash, Madison Reed and more, as she opted to return to UConn for one last season in 2025-26. She's expected to be a top prospect in the 2026 WNBA Draft. School: South Carolina Position: Forward NIL valuation: $159,000 Chloe Kitts, who helped South Carolina win a national title as a sophomore in 2024, has logged a few notable NIL deals in her college career. She's reportedly earned deals from Powerade, Sephora, Marathon and Mondelez. As she enters her senior year, Kitts has emerged as one of the top players on Dawn Staley's squad, winning SEC Tournament MVP in 2025. School: UConn Position: Guard NIL valuation: $145,000 KK Arnold, who was one of the top recruits in the Class of 2023, has several NIL deals with notable brands. She has reportedly agreed to deals with the NIL Store, Powerade, Intuit TurboTax, Raising Cane's and others. After coming off the bench for UConn's title-winning squad in 2025, Arnold seems in line to have a larger role in 2025-26, which could help her earn more NIL money. School: Florida Position: Guard NIL valuation: $138,000 The daughter of NBA icon Shaquille O'Neal, Me'Arah "Meezy" O'Neal is in the top 10 on this list following her freshman year at Florida. She doesn't have any reported NIL deals. School: LSU Position: Guard NIL valuation: $125,000 MiLaysia Fulwiley was one of the top transfers in women's college basketball this offseason, making the move from South Carolina to LSU after winning SEC Sixth Woman of the Year in 2024-25. She reportedly inked a handful of NIL deals during her time at South Carolina, agreeing to partnerships with RITZ Crackers, Curry Brand, Red Bull, Intuit TurboTax and more. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily . Get more from Women's College Basketball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
