The Browns’ season has been a grind, but the rookie class is giving the roster a real jolt. At the halfway point, Cleveland has landed multiple players on The Athletic’s midseason All-Rookie Team, and the names on that list say plenty about how much this draft class has already mattered.
The biggest spotlight falls on wide receiver Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, who were both named to the first team. That kind of recognition is no accident. Boston and Concepcion have become go-to targets for both Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders, and they’ve done it by consistently getting open and making plays when the Browns need them most.
Brugler didn’t hold back in explaining why Boston sits at the top of the rookie receiver group:
“No surprises here. They’re led by Boston, the seventh receiver drafted in April.
He leads all rookies in receiving yards (507), first-down receptions (21) and receiving touchdowns (three). Against the Saints on Sunday, Boston recorded his third catch of 50-plus yards, which ties him with Green Bay’s Christian Watson for the NFL lead.
Not far behind is Concepcion, who scored his first NFL touchdown on Sunday in New Orleans. He ranks No. 1 among rookies in receptions (37) and second in receiving yards (437).
Concepcion also leads all rookie receivers in catches of 20-plus yards (eight) and yards after the catch (237), which ranks Top-20 in the NFL, one spot behind Amon-Ra St. Brown.”
For Cleveland, that’s a massive payoff from a rookie duo that has already changed the look of the passing game.
The Browns also got recognition up front. Spencer Fano earned second-team honors at offensive tackle after stepping into a key role on the left side.
He’s had his share of rough patches, especially in pass protection, but he has also given the Browns enough to believe he can be part of the long-term answer. Through nine games, Fano has been flagged six times, with two more penalties declined, and he has allowed three sacks.
Brugler’s evaluation was blunt and fair:
“Fano’s tape has been full of high highs and low lows. He has struggled against better talent (see Chase Young this past Sunday), but he played above average against the Jets, Titans, and Ravens before that. Fano has performed well enough to believe he can be a long-term solution for the Browns.”
Another rookie making a strong case is guard Austin Barber, who landed on the first team in the interior offensive line group. Barber’s path has been a little unusual - he played left tackle in high school and mostly at Florida, with only two starts at right tackle there - but Cleveland moved him inside in camp, and he stayed at right guard after Teven Jenkins hurt his back.
Barber has already logged a heavy workload, and Brugler pointed to both the consistency and the bumps that come with being a rookie lineman:
“Barber is coming off arguably his worst game as a pro, but there has been far more good than bad on his rookie tape. He has been an iron man while battling through injuries and is tied with his teammate, Fano, for the rookie lead in snaps played (588).”
The Browns also got an honorable mention for safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, another rookie who has found a role quickly. Cleveland took him with the No. 58 pick in Round 2 even though he carried a late first-round grade, and he’s already been part of the defense and special teams in a meaningful way.
McNeil-Warren has played in all nine games, made three starts, and posted 42 total tackles on defense while also contributing on punt and kickoff coverage. He’s also fit naturally into the Browns’ three-safety looks.
That kind of rookie production has been one of the bright spots in a season that has otherwise been uneven. Cleveland’s five wins have all come in comeback fashion, and the team still hasn’t managed to put opponents away and coast. Even in the first meeting with the Steelers, the Browns led 21-7 late in the second quarter and were still up 21-10 with 14:19 left before Pittsburgh scored twice late and nearly tied it.
Still, the rookie class has been a clear success story. For a team that entered the year as one of the league’s youngest rosters at 25.57 years old, the early returns from the 2026 draft class are hard to miss.
Of the 10 picks, four are already starters: Fano, Boston, Concepcion and Barber. Others have filled supporting roles, from Joe Royer on the non-football injury list to Parker Brailsford as a backup lineman, McNeil-Warren’s defensive and special teams workload, Taylen Green’s emergency-quarterback status, Justin Jefferson’s special teams work, and Carsen Ryan’s stop-and-start roster journey.
For a Browns team trying to steady itself in a season full of swings, the rookies are giving them something real to build on.
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