September is here, and with it comes the flood of preseason projections for the 2026 NFL season. ESPN joined the mix with its prediction of the league’s top 100 players, and the Cleveland Browns did get some representation - just not the one plenty of people expected.
The Browns placed two defenders on the list: Carson Schwesinger at No. 85 and Jared Verse at No. 69.
But the absence that jumped off the page was Denzel Ward. ESPN’s own Daniel Oyefusi called it an “egregious” snub.
Two Browns - Carson Schwesinger (No. 85) and Jared Verse (No. 69) - made ESPN’s projection of the top-100 players of the 2026 NFL season.Denzel Ward was an egregious snub https://t.co/oMIDb21fGb
Ward is coming off his fifth Pro Bowl selection and recently landed a record deal for his position. He remains one of the league’s top cornerbacks, and on reputation alone, his omission is hard to ignore.
There is still a possible explanation for why ESPN left him off. The Browns are not expected to be a serious contender in 2026, and this list is built around who will be best this season. Ward is entering his ninth NFL year, so ESPN may be forecasting a dip tied to injuries or simple wear and tear.
Even so, the Browns’ decision to keep Ward says plenty about how they view him. His contract suggests the team still believes he’s playing at a high level. If that weren’t the case, he likely would have been traded the same way Myles Garrett was.
And Garrett’s name is impossible to miss here. The new Los Angeles Rams star sits at No. 1 overall, which isn’t surprising, but it does make the Browns’ list look even more striking when compared with Verse at No. 69.
For Cleveland, the bigger picture is tied to whether that trade eventually helps build a roster that can fight for the playoffs rather than chase the No. 1 overall pick. Ward is expected to be part of that push, and this omission gives him a little extra motivation heading into 2026.
In Other News...
Browns May Have Found An Unexpected Offensive Line Answer
Zak Zinter went into roster cutdowns as one of the more vulnerable names on the Browns offensive line, but he came out with his spot intact and a real chance to matter this season. The interior lineman had shown enough progress through training camp and the preseason to turn heads, and head coach Todd Monken was among those who took notice as Cleveland sorted through its final decisions.
For a line group that always has to brace for attrition, Zinter now looks like more than just a body on the depth chart. His rise from possible waiver candidate to 53-man roster member gives the Browns another interior option, and the kind of unexpected development that can quietly reshape how a team feels about its protection once the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Have Cut A Preseason Standout Too Soon
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Browns May Have Fixed The One Problem Holding Back Their Offense
The Browns spent the offseason making the kind of wholesale offensive line changes teams usually make only after they have seen enough. Cleveland added Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard in free agency, brought back Teven Jenkins, and then used the draft on Spencer Fano, Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford to reshape a unit that had grown old and thin last season. It was a clear attempt to give the quarterback better protection and create more room in the run game, two areas that too often limited the offense.
Early camp reports suggest the overhaul is already paying off. The rookie linemen have reportedly held up well and helped give the Browns a stronger, deeper front than the one they fielded a year ago. Whether that translates once the games count is still the real question, but for a team searching for steadier offensive footing, the line is no longer being treated like an afterthought. [Read more 🡒]