Deshaun Watson and the Browns’ rookie class are starting to look less like newcomers and more like real pieces of Cleveland’s offense.
The clearest example has been Watson’s growing connection with wide receiver Denzel Boston. Through the first two weeks of the 2026 NFL regular season, the pair has hooked up on nine completions for 195 yards and two touchdowns. That kind of production is hard to ignore, especially for a rookie who has only been in The Land for a few months.
Boston isn’t the only first-year player making noise. Cleveland’s 2026 draft class has already started to shape the team’s offensive identity, with Boston and KC Concepcion adding juice to the receiver room while Spencer Fano, Austin Barber and Parker Brailsford work into their roles up front.
Watson believes that chemistry with Boston and Concepcion is only going to keep climbing as the season moves forward.
"There's different looks," Watson said when asked about getting Concepcion more looks. "At the same time, these guys are rookies, KC and (Denzel) Boston.
Any receiver or any person who knows that playing in the slot in the NFL is a lot. So, it takes some time to be able to recognize all the different coverages and things that defenses can do.
"The more reps, the more experience that we get playing with each other and seeing the same thing, it’ll get better for sure.
Watson’s point fits the numbers with Concepcion, too. The Texas A&M product already has 20 targets, 12 catches and 80 receiving yards, even though the box score doesn’t yet tell the whole story. He’s also been used in the run game four times, picking up nine yards and a first down.
That usage suggests the Browns are still figuring out how to get the most out of him, and Watson appears open to that process. It also reflects a quarterback who, at least for now, seems invested in helping Cleveland’s young talent grow around him.
Watson and Concepcion, along with the rest of the rookie class, will be back in action Thursday, Oct. 1, when the Browns host the Pittsburgh Steelers at Huntington Bank Field. It will be Cleveland’s first Thursday Night Football game of the season, with kickoff set for 8:15 p.m. EST.
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Steelers Face A Bigger Thursday Test Than Their Record Suggests
A short week has a way of stripping away the polish, and that is exactly what the Browns are walking into as they head into a Thursday matchup in Pittsburgh. Both teams are 2-1, which gives this meeting a little more weight than a typical early-season divisional game, especially with Cleveland trying to show it can travel well and handle a Steelers team that has been steadier than its record might suggest.
The numbers point to a tight game, with quarterback play and the ground attack both likely to matter in a big way. Jaylen Warren has been part of Pittsburghs offensive conversation, while Cleveland has gotten attention from Harold Fannin Jr. as the Browns continue to sort out what kind of weekly identity they want on offense, and the betting markets have even framed Cleveland as an underdog worth a look. [Read more 🡒]