The Cleveland Browns are finally out of the basement of the NFL and instead are near the top of the AFC right alongside the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills, and others. Baker Mayfield looks to be the franchise quarterback they were hoping for, and they certainly can't complain when it comes to offensive weapons. Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt, Odell Beckham Jr, and Jarvis Landry is a solid group for Baker. The defense is around top 10 in the NFL, while the offensive line is also one of the best groups in the league.

This Browns roster is ready to win now, but can they put it all together? Let's make four bold Cleveland Browns predictions for the 2021 season.

Bold prediction #1: Baker Mayfield throws for 4,000 yards for the first time

Cleveland has build a solid run-first offensive scheme with Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt as one of the best duos in the entire league. This has given Baker Mayfield time to play well without all the pressure a No. 1 overall pick usually has to deal with. Sure, Mayfild has been expected to play well, but having one of the best running games and one of the best offensive lines in the league certainly eases the pressure. He has now played three seasons in the NFL, and his fourth should be his best for a few reasons.

First, he looks ready to take on a larger role. Cleveland threw the ball just 52.2% of the time last season, which was 28th in the league. Despite that, Mayfield threw for over 3,500 yards and 26 touchdowns. Teams are going to start adjusting to the running scheme eventually, and when that happens, Mayfield is skilled enough to throw much more often. If the team comes to him and says it's time to start throwing more, he should be up for the challenge.

Second, Mayfield is very close to getting his next contract. He's still on his rookie deal, but once negotiations really get underway, it wouldn't be surprising at all for him to ask for a Kirk Cousins type of contract. If he doesn't get it in Cleveland, then he probably will elsewhere. The quarterbacks always get paid. This relates to Mayfield reaching 4,000 yards because that number looks so much better in negotiations than 3,500 does. No matter what the offensive scheme is, Baker Mayfield seems like the type of guy who knows when a payday is coming up. Every yard counts in negotiations.

Bold prediction #2: The Browns' offensive line ranks first in both run blocking and pass blocking

This offensive line is no joke. Whether Nick Chubb is running up the middle or Baker Mayfield needs a four-second drop, this line tends to do what is needed. Last season, the group ranked first in PFF pass blocking and second in PFF run blocking. The exact same group of five is returning for 2021, but ranking first overall twice is no easy task. This is a huge year for the Browns where a lot of things could break right, and this will end up being one of them.

From left to right this offensive line group consists of Jedrick Wills Jr., Joel Bitonio, JC Tretter, Wyatt Teller, and Jack Conklin. Wills and Conklin, both of the tackles, were additions to the group last season and both were obviously good additions. Wills was a rookie who exceeded expectations against the pass but struggled a bit against the run. Conklin was a free agent who came in and had a career best season for Cleveland. If he can be the same player once again, Cleveland is set at the tackle positions.

Bitonio and Tretter are two guarantees to be solid because of their careers up to this point. Bitonio has been around the NFL since 2014 and has spent every single season with the Browns. Tretter has also been around since 2014, but he played three seasons in Green Bay before ending up with the Browns. Both are expected to have another big season, which should help Teller get even better. Before 2020, Teller was a bit of a question mark, but PFF had him as the best guard in football last season. This group is among the best of the best for good reason.

Bold prediction #3: Myles Garrett leads the league in sacks

Garrett has been very good for the Cleveland defense, but it always feels like there's something more with him, whether it's due to injuries or something else. Through his first four seasons, Garrett has played 16 games just once and 12 games twice. Injuries haven't ended a season like they did to fellow elite defensive lineman Danielle Hunter last season, but they've done just enough to keep him from having that one huge season. Granted, he's already a two time Pro Bowler and was a First-Team All-Pro member last season. There is one more step Garrett can take, and perhaps this is the season we see him on that next level.

Before his injury in 2019, Garrett was on pace for 16 sacks, which is where he can be this season. The sack leader in 2020 was T.J. Watt with 15. Garrett has the talent to get to that number and surpass it. It's not likely because it's not likely for anyone to get 15 sacks, but if I had to bet on one player to reach that mark, Garrett would be a strong candidate.

Bold prediction #4: Odell Beckham Jr. scores double-digit touchdowns for the first time in Cleveland

Beckham will be entering his third season with Cleveland. He played in all 16 games in his first season with the team in 2019, catching 74 passes for just over 1,000 yards with only four touchdowns. It wasn't exactly what the Browns were looking for, but getting integrated into a new system with a new quarterback on a team that wasn't great probably wasn't ideal.

When 2020 rolled around, expectations were down a bit overall. Beckham hadn't had over 1,100 yards or double-digit touchdowns since 2013, and that didn't change in 2020. Beckham went down with an injury in Week 7, abruptly ending his campaign.

Now the 2021 season is about to begin, and OBJ isn't anywhere near what most people consider to be the elite group of wide receivers. The talent is still there and the Browns will likely be throwing more in 2021, so who better to have a bounce-back season than Odell Beckham Jr. himself? The double-digit touchdowns will be difficult as he has only seven in his Cleveland career, but his first three seasons in the league all saw him rack up double-digit touchdowns.

The Browns are in for a big year, and the hope is Beckham can be a big part of it.