The Browns finally hit the part of camp everyone actually wants to see.
After days of helmets and shorts, Cleveland opened padded work on Monday, and the first session with contact brought a much clearer picture of who was standing out. Head coach Todd Monken said before practice that it would be a run-heavy day with gap scheme installs, while the defense would “wrap and release” instead of taking players to the ground, which is standard for this stage of training camp.
That still gave the Browns plenty of room to sort out who looked ready when the real work started. With preseason opener at Chicago on Aug. 15 coming into view, six players kept popping up in the reports from Day 5.
Harold Fannin was one of the loudest early answers. The tight end had kept a low profile through the spring after revealing he underwent groin surgery because of last year’s season-ending injury, which kept him out of OTAs and minicamp.
He told reporters he would be a full-go this summer, and Monday backed that up. Dan Labbe of Cleveland.com said Fannin was “catching everything,” and it didn’t seem to matter which quarterback was throwing his way.
Coming off a strong rookie season, he looked like one of the best players on the field.
Daniel Thomas also made sure he got noticed. The safety, one of the Browns’ quieter free agent additions, drew a blunt verdict from Zac Jackson of The Athletic: “Daniel Thomas is going to make the team.”
Thomas had been expected to help on special teams, but Monday showed more than that. He rotated in early on defense and, according to Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN, handled his run fits well during 11-on-11 work.
It was a strong first padded impression for the former Jaguars safety.
KC Concepcion brought some flash to the second unit. While Denzel Boston has been getting plenty of attention and also looked good again on Monday, Concepcion delivered the kind of play that turns heads fast once the pads come on.
Working with Shedeur Sanders at quarterback, the rookie hauled in a deep touchdown over the middle. Jackson went big with his assessment, saying: “Concepcion and Boston are already miles - galaxies - better than any of the other wide receivers.”
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren also flashed after a quieter start to the summer. The Browns’ second-round rookie, who starred at nearby Toledo, had been working behind Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman, but Monday gave him a chance to show more.
Oyefusi highlighted a strong coverage play when McNeil-Warren broke in from centerfield on a short pass from Sanders. Jackson noted that he looked more comfortable in the defense, and with the pads on, there’s now a chance for him to keep building.
Mason Graham kept doing what he’s done all offseason, only this time he could really thump. The defensive tackle was in the backfield again and, per Oyefusi, collapsed the pocket right in Deshaun Watson’s grill for a sack.
He also let the offense hear about it afterward. With Jared Verse also reportedly tough to block on Monday, Graham looks like he could be headed for a huge Year 2.
Tyson Campbell rounded out the list with another strong showing in the secondary. His man coverage was as tight as ever, and Oyefusi named him one of the three stars of Day 5 alongside Graham and Verse.
Labbe also posted a video of Campbell breaking up a Watson pass to Isaiah Bond. With Denzel Ward, Campbell, Delpit and Hickman forming the Browns’ top four in the secondary, Cleveland’s defense already looks built to stay difficult to deal with, especially with the front applying pressure.
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