Todd Monken has already shown one way KC Concepcion can tilt a game, and it came in the Browns’ last practice before Saturday’s preseason opener at Chicago.
The play was simple enough on paper: a jet sweep to Concepcion that ended in a touchdown. In real time, it was the kind of snap that can make a defense look a step slow and leave everyone watching wondering how much more the Browns might be able to do with the rookie in the red zone. The Browns will have a lot more diversity in the red zone this season.
That’s the bigger point here. Concepcion, even as a first-round pick, has somehow slipped a bit under the radar compared with some of Cleveland’s other rookies.
That has less to do with him and more to do with how well some of his draftmates have looked. Still, Concepcion has been delivering one eye-catching moment after another in camp, and the drop problems that showed up early in the spring have not been an issue lately.
He’s clearly done a lot of work on his hands and his focus.
The fit with Monken is what makes this especially interesting. Anthony Joki of The Dawg Land podcast recently noted that this kind of usage feels familiar from Monken’s time in Baltimore, where Zay Flowers was used on the ground as well as through the air. Over Monken’s three seasons with the Ravens, Flowers logged 27 carries for 174 yards, two touchdowns, and five first downs in similar situations.
That comparison has followed Concepcion for a reason. He and Flowers were linked throughout the pre-draft process, and Browns general manager Andrew Berry also acknowledged the similarities in their skill sets.
The resemblance is easy to see: both are smaller, quicker receivers who can create explosive plays, work in tight spaces, and add value as returners. They also arrived with a similar concern, since both had drop issues in college.
None of that means Monken will deploy Concepcion exactly the way he used Flowers, but the outline is there. And for Browns fans, that should be enough to get the picture. The old wildcat-style goal-line looks may be fading out in Cleveland.
There are differences, of course. Concepcion will face more competition for targets than Flowers ever did in Baltimore, though Flowers also benefited from a much stronger quarterback situation.
Even so, the production Monken got from Flowers is hard to ignore. In each of his three seasons under Monken, Flowers posted at least 70 receptions, 850 yards, and four receiving touchdowns.
He also added at least eight carries for 50 rushing yards, using his burst and pre-snap motion ability to keep defenses off balance.
That’s the template that makes Concepcion so intriguing. There will be growing pains, and asking too much of first-team players right away would be a mistake. But the upside is obvious, and with a more creative offensive mind steering the operation, the Browns should be a lot more fun to watch in 2026 - with Concepcion right at the center of it.
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