The Browns’ defense may end up carrying the entire conversation around Cleveland’s 2026 season, but the shape of that unit is suddenly a lot less certain.
There’s still plenty to like on that side of the ball. Carson Schwesinger is coming off a Defensive Rookie of the Year season, and Jared Verse is in place as the talent expected to step into the void left behind by Myles Garrett. Even so, the biggest question is obvious: what does this defense look like without Garrett as its centerpiece?
That’s no small shift. 2026 will be the first Browns season since 2017 without Garrett anchoring the defense, and for years he was the one constant you could trust to wreck a game plan. Now Cleveland is trying to move forward without that level of dominance, and there are real unknowns attached to it.
One of the biggest changes is on the sideline. The Browns brought in a new defensive coordinator, Mike Rutenberg, which means the scheme is expected to look different right away. The results will depend heavily on how quickly the group adapts to his system.
There are also some concerns about where the depth really holds up. Beyond the top two corners and Grant Delpit, the secondary still has questions hanging over it. That could be the area where the defense shows some cracks if things don’t come together.
Even with those uncertainties, the outlook on paper still points to a strong unit. Realistically, the defense is expected to land around 10th by most metrics, with a best-case path that pushes it into the top five. And with so much uncertainty on offense, this group still looks like the one most likely to keep Cleveland afloat.
In Other News...
Taylen Green Is Suddenly Testing The Browns' Crowded QB Pecking Order
Taylen Green has given the Browns something to think about in the first week of training camp, even with limited chances to work. The sixth-round quarterback has looked comfortable enough to stand out in a room already built around Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel, and his physical tools have only added to the intrigue around his early work.
Greens path still looks uphill, but camp has a way of reshuffling a pecking order when the reps start piling up and the evaluation gets more serious. If the top of the depth chart remains unsettled, a player who keeps flashing in the background can force his way into a conversation the Browns did not necessarily expect to be having this soon. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Fans Noticed One Practice Decision In The Watson Battle
Todd Monken keeps saying the two-minute drill matters in evaluating quarterbacks, so when practice ended early after Shedeur Sanders guided the first-team offense through a clean hurry-up sequence, it did not go unnoticed. The Browns had built that work into the session as another chance to separate the quarterbacks, but the drill became the kind of small practice detail fans latch onto when a competition is still very much alive.
Deshaun Watson and the second-team offense never got their turn in that same situation, which only added another layer to a battle that has been watched closely as the preseason nears. Watson answered with a strong practice the next day, keeping the race from moving in any clear direction, but the larger picture remains the same: every snap, every period and every decision around who gets work is being read as part of the evaluation. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Camp Injuries Are Suddenly Raising The Stakes Up Front
Training camp has already turned into a test of depth for the Browns, and the issues up front are making it harder to sort out the roster. A thin group on both lines has left the team navigating a practice week where availability matters just as much as execution, with the offensive line drawing particular attention as the preseason opener creeps closer.
Elgton Jenkins and Parker Brailsford both missed Wednesdays practice, which gave Luke Wypler a chance to work with the starting offense. For a staff trying to get its scheme in place, the timing is less than ideal, and Todd Monken is set to finalize the offensive installation on Thursday before Cleveland faces the Chicago Bears in preseason play. [Read more 🡒]