The Browns head into Week 1 with their rookie class already shaping the early outline of the roster, and a few of those first-year players are set to matter right away. Cleveland opens the season on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars a couple of days after the 2026 NFL regular season kicks off in Seattle, Washington, and with Deshaun Watson locked in as the starting quarterback, the next question is how the new pieces fit around him.
The biggest rookie storyline belongs to Spencer Fano. Barring any sudden changes before next Sunday, he is set to start at left tackle, and that spot carries the heaviest load of any rookie on the roster - maybe the heaviest load on the entire offensive line.
Cleveland has spent years trying to solve left tackle, and the strain that position has put on the offense has been impossible to ignore. Fano has already shown the edge that comes with his game, including the scuffle with Jared Verse earlier in training camp, and that physicality should show up snap after snap.
Expect speed, nastiness, and plenty of work in the run game.
KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston are the other rookie names drawing real attention, and both are expected to start from Week 1. What they bring to the offense may not be entirely in their hands, though. Todd Monken has already started looking for ways to feature Concepcion’s speed and playmaking, using him on end-arounds, moving him around pre-snap, and tapping into his punt-return ability.
Boston brings a different kind of presence. His size stands out, but so does the way he attacks the ball in the air. Cleveland didn’t get much of a preseason look at him, yet his training camp tape was enough to convince people he can be a force as a downfield receiver.
On the defensive side, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren is currently behind Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman at safety, but that may not last long. His size and range give him a profile that should eventually force its way onto the field.
Austin Barber, Cleveland’s third-round offensive tackle, is also starting the year as a reserve. Even so, he figures to be one of the first linemen called on if the Browns need help on the right side.
The rest of the class fits into the depth category for now, with linebacker Justin Jefferson, center Parker Brailsford, quarterback Taylen Green, and fullback/tight end Carsen Ryan filling out the group. Ryan may have the clearest path to snaps from that cluster because of what he can do in the run game.
Cleveland also drafted tight end Joe Royer in the fifth round, but he was placed on the reserve/non-football illness list Sunday. That move will keep him out for the first four weeks of the regular season.
In Other News...
Browns Fans May Not Like What This Means For Shedeur Sanders
The Browns quarterback situation keeps drifting back to the same uncomfortable place for fans, with Deshaun Watson still expected to remain the starter even as the discussion around Shedeur Sanders has grown louder. Clevelands quarterback room has become a focal point of the seasons frustration, and the conversation has only widened with the possibility that the team could add another arm if it looks to the waiver wire.
Joe Milton, the former Cowboys backup, is one name to watch for a Browns team that may be looking to bolster depth while sorting out its long-term plans under center. For Sanders, that would add another layer to an already crowded and uncertain picture, even as he has already pushed back on fan criticism and asked for respect no matter how the quarterback situation unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Are Already Reworking A Key Roster Battle Before Week 1
The Browns are still fine-tuning the edges of their roster with Week 1 closing in, and the latest moves show a team willing to keep turning over the back end of the depth chart. Cleveland waived cornerback Michael Coats Jr. while adding defensive end Sam Williams and cornerback Noah Igbinoghene to the 53-man roster, and the shuffle continued with running back Jaleel McLaughlin reportedly landing on the practice squad.
It is the kind of pre-opening-week maneuvering that can hint at where the staff sees immediate help and where the room still feels unsettled. With the 2026 season about to begin, the Browns are not waiting for the calendar to force their hand, and the next roster decision could say plenty about how they plan to sort out a few lingering competition spots. [Read more 🡒]
Jerry Jeudys New Browns Role Says Plenty About This Offense
Jerry Jeudys place in the Browns offense is already looking a little different this summer, and it says a lot about how Cleveland is trying to sort through its passing game. After adding new receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, the Browns moved Jeudy to the Z spot, a change that should keep him moving around and make better use of the quickness and separation skills that have long defined his game.
Coach Todd Monken framed the shift as part of an ongoing experiment with receiver roles, which fits a unit still searching for the right pieces and the right fit. The larger question hanging over it all is the quarterback situation, because even a smart alignment on paper only matters if Cleveland can get steady play behind it and turn those matchups into something more than a rotation of ideas. [Read more 🡒]