The Browns’ rookie class has plenty of names worth watching in Week 1, but one player stands above the rest when Cleveland opens against the Jacksonville Jaguars: wide receiver KC Concepcion.
Drafted in the first round, Concepcion arrives with a clear job description - help the offense make plays. That has been the theme all through training camp and the preseason, where he has flashed the speed and elusiveness that made him such an intriguing pick.
Once the ball is in his hands, he’s tough to bring down, and that matters even more with Deshaun Watson starting at quarterback. Expect the Browns to use quick throws to get Concepcion in space and let him work after the catch.
Concepcion also brings production from Texas A&M, where he averaged 15.1 yards per reception. And if Jacksonville commits to shutting down the run, that could create the kind of mismatch Cleveland wants: slower defenders stuck on the field and unable to keep pace with Concepcion.
The Browns have not had much success in recent seasons with end-arounds and screen passes because they lacked the speed to make those plays dangerous. Concepcion already showed what he can do in that area when he turned a shovel pass into a touchdown in the opening preseason game, slipping away from defenders on the way to the end zone.
There’s also the matter of what Cleveland has and hasn’t done at wide receiver in the first round. The Browns have not taken a receiver in Round 1 since Corey Coleman in 2016.
Coleman infamously flamed out on Hard Knocks in 2018. Cleveland later traded a first-round pick for Odell Beckham Jr. in 2019, and that move ended badly as well.
After losing three first-round picks because of the Watson trade, the Browns used their last two first-round selections on offensive and defensive linemen. Concepcion now gets the chance to challenge that history and prove he was worth the investment.
His role won’t stop on offense, either. Concepcion is set to return punts, giving him another chance to tilt the game every time he touches the ball.
He said during training camp that he wanted to return three punts for touchdowns this season, and he already took two punts back for scores last year at Texas A&M. Cleveland has been searching for a punt returner since Travis Benjamin, and Concepcion should give the stadium something to watch whenever he fields one.
There is some injury risk that comes with that job, but head coach Todd Monken is clearly comfortable putting him everywhere possible. “At this point, it makes too much sense for us to use him in every way we can as a weapon,” said Monken.
The Browns have several rookies who could matter in their first game, but Concepcion is the one with the biggest chance to make an immediate impression. If his potential turns into production, Cleveland may finally have the kind of playmaker it has been waiting for on Sundays.
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