The Browns have spent the preseason sorting out more than just the scoreboard. A handful of young players have pushed themselves into bigger roles, and in several spots, the depth chart already looks different than it did when camp opened.
One of the clearest risers has been linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold. After appearing in 16 games as an undrafted rookie out of Oregon State and USC, he has opened this preseason as Cleveland’s third starting linebacker, sitting behind 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger and veteran free-agent addition Quincy Williams.
Mascarenas-Arnold finished last season with nine tackles and mostly worked on special teams, but Mike Rutenberg’s first year as defensive coordinator has given him a real chance to move up. He started the preseason opener at linebacker and has kept that spot with the starting defense during camp this week.
The rookie class on offense has also forced the issue. The Browns used a top-10 pick on Fano in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the expectation was immediate: left tackle.
So far, that’s exactly where this is headed. Through his rookie training camp and the first preseason game, Fano has looked like Cleveland’s Week 1 answer on the left side.
The tackle competition behind him has been messier. Third-round rookie Austin Barber was ahead of Dawand Jones in the preseason opener, but Barber got beaten badly on the right side and allowed Deshaun Watson to be strip-sacked.
Jones, meanwhile, played into the fourth quarter, which usually says plenty about where a player stands. For Todd Monken, it’s still a good kind of problem to have, and Fano’s progress has made the left tackle job look settled.
At tight end, the door has opened for Ryan after fifth-round rookie Joe Royer missed all of camp because of personal matters. That’s a hard hole to dig out of for any rookie, and it leaves Ryan with a real shot to carve out a spot.
Cleveland drafted him in the seventh round, and he’s been getting plenty of work in Monken’s revamped offense behind Harold Fannin Jr., who is clearly the lead man in the group. If Ryan keeps showing growth as both a blocker and a receiver, he has a path to making the roster.
The most eye-catching rookie work, though, has come at wide receiver. Cleveland’s first-year pass catchers have been the standout offensive players across a dozen spring practices and 16 training camp sessions.
Concepcion has brought speed and versatility, and the Browns are using him as a punt returner and as a motion piece before the snap. He looks like someone who can affect the game in multiple ways right away.
Boston has also locked down a starting role as a rookie. The second-round pick’s big catch radius has been obvious since he arrived in Berea, and it’s helped him stand out in a crowded competition. For a Browns team still sorting through its preseason depth chart, those kinds of developments matter fast.
In Other News...
Browns Offense Finally Showed Something Fans Have Been Waiting For
A joint practice against the Bills gave the Browns a chance to measure themselves against another roster, and for once the offense came away with something to build on. Head coach Todd Monken said Cleveland looked like it belonged on the field, a notable step for a group that has spent much of camp trying to find its footing. There were still mistakes and some injuries to sort through, but the overall impression was more encouraging than the usual late-summer noise around an offense still trying to settle in.
The offensive line also showed progress, which matters just as much as any flashier moment in practice because it sets the tone for everything else. Cleveland still has a long way to go before anyone can draw conclusions about the season opener, but this was the kind of day that can hint at a unit starting to mesh. For a Browns team looking for signs of cohesion, it was at least a reminder that the offense may be moving in the right direction. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Quarterback Uncertainty Could Put Rival Cutdown Decision In Focus
After the first week of preseason, Cleveland still does not have a clear answer under center for 2026, and that uncertainty is starting to frame everything the Browns do at quarterback. Shedeur Sanders, Deshaun Watson and the rest of the room have all had uneven moments, leaving the team with more questions than answers as the evaluation process continues into the rest of August.
Across the state line, Pittsburghs own quarterback decision has become a subplot worth watching, with Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar all tied to the Steelers roster picture. Howard, a former Ohio State quarterback, made a strong preseason debut and is now the kind of player Cleveland could have in mind if he ends up available, giving the Browns one more possible name to monitor while their own competition remains unsettled. [Read more 🡒]
Quinshon Judkins Injury Should Ease One Big Browns Concern
Quinshon Judkins has been working through a nagging injury during training camp and the preseason, which kept the Browns running back out of practice for stretches at a time. Even so, head coach Todd Monken has framed the absence as precautionary, and the early read is that Cleveland is not dealing with a major setback as it builds toward the start of the season.
For a Browns team that is counting on Judkins to lead the backfield in 2026, that matters. He enters the year as the expected feature back and a player with real fantasy football appeal, so every missed practice naturally draws attention, but the current outlook suggests Cleveland may be able to move past one of its bigger camp concerns without it turning into a season-opening problem. [Read more 🡒]