For Browns fans, the first step in the 2026 draft picture may already be obvious: it starts with Rams watch.
Cleveland had barely settled into the 2025 season when it was already glued to “Jaguars watch” after an 0-1 start. Jacksonville went on to win its opener, roll to a 13-4 record, and send the Browns to the 24th pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Now the focus shifts west. The Jaguars watch is over, and the Rams are the new team Browns fans will be tracking for the 2026 season and beyond. The reason is simple: after the Myles Garrett trade, Los Angeles is expected to be strong, and that means Cleveland’s attention is likely to stay fixed on the Rams for years.
Week 1 did the Browns no favors in that department. In Australia, Garrett’s Los Angeles debut went sideways fast. He had missed much of training camp because of a lingering knee issue, and against NFC West rival San Francisco, he was used as a part-time player in a lopsided Rams loss.
Garrett didn’t sugarcoat it afterward, sounding a bit like his former Browns coach Kevin Stefanski when he admitted he needed to be better and described the outing as the “worst”:
Los Angeles now gets a chance to reset. The Rams have 10 days between games and return in Week 2 for a Monday Night Football matchup at home against the New York Giants.
Even with Garrett still dealing with the knee issue and, at least for one game, looking like the “worst version of” himself, the Rams are still projected to be very good. They remain FanDuel’s Super Bowl betting favorite.
In Other News...
Browns QB Search Could Get An Early Defining Moment This Weekend
The Browns are already thinking well beyond the current season, and the quarterback conversation has quietly shifted toward the 2027 draft class. Arch Manning at Texas and Julian Sayin at Ohio State have both surfaced as names worth monitoring, giving Cleveland a pair of high-profile options as it continues evaluating the long-term answer at the games most important position.
This weekend could offer an early glimpse at how serious that search might become, even if nothing definitive is decided yet. Cleveland owns two first-round picks in 2027, which gives the front office the kind of draft capital that can change the math if it decides a move up is necessary, and the stakes only grow when the team starts sorting through whether either passer is the kind of prospect worth building around. [Read more 🡒]
Jared Verse Is Already Addressing The One Concern Browns Fans Had
Jared Verse has already become one of the more watched additions around Browns camp, and not just because of the trade that brought him in after the Myles Garrett deal. The edge rusher has long made his reputation on force and power, but this offseason he has been focused on broadening the rest of his pass-rushing toolbox as Cleveland takes a closer look at how he fits into its defense.
Verse said he has been working on trying new moves during training camp, a sign he knows the next step in his game is about more than winning with strength alone. Entering his third NFL season, he is aiming to be a more versatile defender, the kind who can threaten blockers in multiple ways and give the Browns another layer on the edge. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Suddenly Face A Week 1 O-Line Decision They Didn't Want
Week 1 already has a way of testing offensive lines, and Cleveland may be dealing with one of its own before the opening game even settles in. Teven Jenkins did not practice because of a back issue, putting the Browns in a spot they probably wanted to avoid this early and opening the door for rookie Austin Barber to potentially get his first NFL action.
The rest of the weeks practice report offered the usual mix of participation notes, but Jenkins status is the one that matters most for a unit trying to find its footing. Around the league, quarterback injuries and uneven early performances have already added to the sense that September can turn quickly, and for Cleveland, the immediate concern is whether it can keep the front five intact long enough to start the season cleanly. [Read more 🡒]