The Browns’ receiver room has taken on a different look, and one of the more interesting camp battles belongs to a local name who already has some momentum behind him. Luke Floriea, the Mentor High School graduate and Browns fan favorite, is trying to turn a strong summer into a spot on the regular-season roster.
Cleveland’s top four wideouts for the 2026 season are listed as Jerry Jeudy, Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, and Isaiah Bond. Behind them, Floriea is chasing a deeper group that includes Gage Larvadain, Cedric Tillman, Taylen Wallace, and Malachi Corley.
Floriea made his first preseason statement in the opener against the Chicago Bears. On the first drive of the second half, he hauled in a 35-yard catch from Shedeur Sanders and helped put himself back in the conversation.
He logged 17 snaps in that game, trailing Corley’s 25 and Larvadain’s 24. Tillman did not play because of injury.
There has already been buzz that Floriea earned reps with the first-team offense during training camp. The Browns signed him to the practice squad in the 2025 season, and he’s spent his time with the team building a reputation as a high-energy player with solid hands. For local fans, the appeal is obvious: he was an all-Ohio performer at Mentor High School, stayed in Northeast Ohio, and continued his career at Kent State.
Even though he did not appear in a regular-season game last year, Floriea has stuck around and gotten a real shot to make the roster in 2026. His path is straightforward.
He has to keep stacking plays, find the soft spots in zone coverage, and give the quarterbacks a clean outlet when they need the ball out fast. The next chance could come in the second preseason game, with Sanders set to start the first half.
Floriea and Sanders have spent more time working together than they did last training camp, which gives that connection a chance to show up again.
Special teams may be the tougher hurdle. The Browns have been looking for a kick returner for years, and Larvadain handled those duties in the first preseason game.
He also chipped in with four catches for 37 yards. Floriea did not contribute on special teams, and at five feet eight inches, he is a little small for that role.
Larvadain’s ability to help in multiple areas could make the roster math tougher for Floriea.
Elsewhere in the receiver group, Tillman remains a name to watch. The former third-round pick flashed in a couple of games with his size and speed, but inconsistency has defined most of his first three seasons. Now entering his fourth year and the last season of his contract, he could be in a spot where Cleveland moves on.
Corley’s role also appears to be changing. Last season, he was used on jet sweeps and wide-receiver screens, and the Browns drafted Concepcion in the first round for that same type of skill set. Concepcion showed it right away in the first preseason game with his speed and elusiveness, and the team is expected to lean on Corley less than it did a year ago.
For Floriea, the door is still open. He may begin the season on the practice squad, but if he keeps making plays in camp and preseason games, he can keep forcing the issue. If that happens, Browns fans could see the local standout on the field in the regular season this year.
In Other News...
Browns Just Made Shedeur Sanders' Long Term Outlook Feel Much Clearer
Todd Monken has already given Cleveland a pretty clear look at how the quarterback work is going to be divided this preseason. Shedeur Sanders got first-team reps on Monday, while Deshaun Watson handled the top unit on Tuesday, a setup that says plenty about where each player stands as the Browns sort through the early stages of camp and try to shape Sanders development without rushing the process.
The bigger picture is the one that matters most for Cleveland, because the team appears to be mapping out a future that still runs through Watson in the short term while leaving room for Sanders to grow into a bigger role later. For a young quarterback trying to build credibility in a crowded room, that kind of structure can be meaningful, and it is why the way the Browns manage the next stretch of preseason work will be watched closely. [Read more 🡒]
Browns May Have Found A Preseason Underdog Fans Should Watch
Michael Coats Jr. has taken an unconventional route to get here, moving from community college football to West Virginia before landing with the Browns as an undrafted free agent. In a preseason that tends to sort out long-shot hopefuls from real roster candidates, he has given Cleveland something to think about with a strong defensive showing.
Coats turned heads with an interception and earned a strong Pro Football Focus grade, the kind of early evidence that can keep a player in the conversation as roster decisions get tighter. For a Browns team always looking for depth and upside, his preseason work has made him one of those under-the-radar names worth tracking as the competition continues. [Read more 🡒]
Browns Roster Bubble Just Got More Dangerous After Uneven Debut
The Browns first preseason game did little to clarify the back end of the roster, and for a few players it may have made the picture even murkier. After the loss to the Bears, Dawand Jones, Joe Royer, Raheim Sanders and Cedric Tillman all found themselves lumped into the group most likely sweating the final cutdown, with each carrying a different kind of concern heading into the next stretch of evaluation.
Jones uneven showing came at a particularly awkward time, with other bubble players turning in more convincing reps and tightening the race for jobs that once looked more settled. Royers situation has been even harder to measure because he has been away from the team for a personal matter, Sanders did not make much of his limited snaps, and Tillman was unavailable because of injury, leaving the Browns with more questions than answers as the roster begins to take shape. [Read more 🡒]