2026 NFL Season Preview: Cleveland Browns

Cleveland Browns



2026 NFL Season Preview:

Veteran Additions:
FB Michael Burton, WR Tylan Wallace, OT Tytus Howard, G Zion Johnson, C Elgton Jenkins, DT Kalia Davis, ILB Quincy Williams, CB Myles Bryant, S Daniel Thomas.
Draft Picks:
OT Spencer Fano, WR KC Concepcion, WR Denzel Boston, S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, OT Austin Barber. Browns Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
QB Jameis Winston, QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, RB Nick Chubb, WR Elijah Moore, OT Jedrick Wills, OT James Hudson, C Nick Harris, DT Dalvin Tomlinson, DT Maurice Hurst, CB Mike Ford, S Juan Thornhill, S Rodney McLeod.

2026 Cleveland Browns Offense:
The Browns have struggled to find success at quarterback since their expansion year in 1999. They’ve endured some of the worst quarterbacks imaginable, but they finally rostered not one, but two Pro Bowl quarterbacks last year. Both Shedeur Sanders and Joe Flacco were voted to the Pro Bowl, meaning the Browns became the first team in NFL history to have two Pro Bowl quarterbacks on one roster in a single season.

Given that fact, it’s astonishing that the Browns won just five games last year. Astonishing for anyone who didn’t watch those quarterbacks, that is. Sanders completed just 56.6 percent of his passes as a rookie, throwing seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Flacco, meanwhile, was traded to the Bengals at the midway point of the season. This was obviously a colossal joke at Cleveland’s expense, and things don’t appear to be getting any better. Sanders is still on the team, while Deshaun Watson will be back from his torn Achilles. There’s not much hope for Watson, who hasn’t been the same quarterback since 2020, especially because there’s a long list of quarterbacks who have struggled to return from such an injury. It’s likely that Sanders will see action once again in 2026. While Sanders should perform better now that he has experience, it’s unlikely that he’ll actually resemble a Pro Bowler.

There is some good news concerning the offense. The front office made some quality additions to the roster, primarily with the ninth-overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. They moved down from No. 6 overall to select Spencer Fano, who figures to be the steady presence at left tackle the Browns have needed since Jedrick Willis’ decline and eventual departure. Cleveland also needed a right tackle, so they signed Tytus Howard away from the Texans. Howard isn’t a great blocker by any means, but he’s solid in pass protection and will be an upgrade over what the Browns had at the position last year. A third-round pick was used on Austin Barber in case Howard fails.

The Browns also spent resources on the interior offensive line. They made a pair of signings in free agency, acquiring Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins. Of the two, Jenkins is the better player. He’s a quality interior blocker who can play every position on the offensive line. He’ll start at center and should be fine there. Johnson, conversely, struggled with the Chargers, so there’s no reason to expect improved play from him. The other guard, Teven Jenkins, was a failure as a tackle, but has been much better since moving to the interior.

Cleveland’s new offensive linemen will be a boon for Quinshon Judkins. The 2025 second-round pick had a decent rookie campaign, considering that there weren’t many running lanes at his disposal. That’ll change this year, so his stock is pointing upward. He’ll be complemented by Dylan Sampson, who is a quality receiver out of the backfield.

While Cleveland’s running back room remains unchanged, wholesale changes were made at receiver. This was necessary because Jerry Jeudy dropped countless passes last year. The Browns used their second opening-round draft choice on KC Concepcion, an electric player who could develop into Cleveland’s top target. The Browns then followed up that pick with a second-round selection on Denzel Boston, a larger-framed receiver. Jeudy and Cedric Tillman are still on the roster, as is Harold Fannin, who will take on a larger role as Cleveland’s primary tight end with David Njoku no longer on the team.



2026 Cleveland Browns Defense:
Given the severe problems the Browns have on offense, they would barely win any games if they maintained a subpar defense. They prevailed on five occasions, however, because their defense ranked fifth in EPA.

Myles Garrett was primarily responsible for Cleveland’s defensive dominance. He broke the NFL single-season sack record last year with 23 sacks. Garrett, however, was traded to the Rams for Jared Verse and three draft choices. Verse is an electric pass rusher with a bright future, but he’s not nearly as dominant as Garrett. His bookend Alex Wright will continue to take advantage of all the attention the opposite edge rusher usually draws. Wright was third on the team with 5.5 sacks. He also defended the run very well.

Maliek Collins finished slightly ahead of Wright with 6.5 sacks. He’s not as good in run support as Wright, but he’s a solid player in the defensive interior. The Browns will be hoping that the other defensive tackle, Mason Graham, takes a step forward this year. Graham, chosen No. 5 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft, had a solid rookie campaign, but much more is expected out of him. If he can become a dominant player, Cleveland’s defensive line will be absolutely devastating to the opposition.

Another great element of Cleveland’s defense last year was Carson Schwesinger’s amazing play. Schwesinger won Defensive Rookie of the Year by a great margin. Now with experience, Schwesinger should be even better than he was in 2025. It’ll help that he’ll have a better partner at linebacker in the wake of Cleveland signing Quincy Williams away from the Jets. Williams is coming off a down year, but was far better for the Jets in 2023 and 2024. He was even voted into the NFL’s top 100 list following the 2023 campaign.

The Browns addressed their secondary via the second round by drafting Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. The Toledo product was expected to be chosen during the opening frame, so he was a nice value pick for Cleveland. He could make his way into the starting lineup at some point this year, though that could be challenging because last year’s starting safeties, Ronnie Hickman and Grant Delpit, both performed well last season.

The cornerback situation, meanwhile, remains unchanged, save for a couple of depth moves during the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Browns didn’t need to adjust anything on the outside, given that they had a terrific tandem there with Tyson Campbell joining Denzel Ward following the trade deadline last fall. Ward is coming off a down year, but should be able to rebound. The Browns needed a new nickel because Myles Harden is the worst starter on the defensive unit.



2026 Cleveland Browns Schedule and Intangibles:
New kicker Andre Szymt had a rough debut last year, but finished 24-of-27, including 5-of-6 from 50-plus.

Corey Bojorquez had one of the worst net punting averages in the NFL last year.

The Browns have a very easy schedule outside of the division, thanks to the NFC South being on the slate. They also get to battle the Jets, Titans, Raiders, and Giants.



2026 Cleveland Browns Rookies:
Go here for the Browns Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.



2026 Cleveland Browns Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):

Quarterbacks		Offensive Line		Secondary
Running Backs		Defensive Line		Special Teams
Receivers		Linebackers		Coaching

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Other 2025 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/24)
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Other 2026 Mock Drafts: Charlie Campbell (4/23)
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