Cleveland Browns 2026 NFL Season Preview

Offense

Sanders showed some promise in starting the final seven games of his rookie season, but not enough to be handed the job. Watson missed all of 2025 with a twice-torn Achilles tendon. He’s started only 19 games since the Browns traded three first-round picks to acquire him in March 2022. Watson was cleared to participate in the entire offseason program, and though his NFL future (if he has one) probably isn’t with the Browns, Monken planned to let Watson and Sanders compete throughout the spring and early summer.

The Browns knew they needed to upgrade the line and pass-catching groups to support whoever plays quarterback, and the line was the focus. The Browns added veterans Tytus Howard, Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson to the line in March and then began their draft by selecting Spencer Fano at No. 9 overall. Fano will be the team’s left tackle after playing right tackle over his final two college seasons. Johnson, the team’s first free-agent signing of the offseason, is likely to play left guard and will help Fano develop and acclimate to the NFL game. The Browns also drafted tackle Austin Barber in the third round to provide depth and potentially compete for playing time at guard if the Browns need help there.

Two second-year players headline the skill-position groups. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. was ahead of schedule as a rookie and has the size and run-after-catch ability to continue his ascension to stardom. Running back Quinshon Judkins’ first season ended with a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula, but he is on track to be ready for the start of training camp. Judkins is by far the team’s most talented runner and showed progress in 2025 after missing his first NFL training camp, so he looms as potentially Cleveland’s most important non-quarterback offensive player.

Wide receiver Jerry Jeudy is back after a disappointing 2025, but the Browns believe they added some pop to the group via the draft with wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. Concepcion is a speed-first player who might eventually fit best in the slot but could line up all over the formation, while Boston is a true outside receiver whom the team views as a future red-zone weapon.

Defense

Garrett isn’t the only key loss this year. Defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz resigned after the Browns chose not to hire him for the head-coaching job. Mike Rutenberg takes over as defensive coordinator with most of Schwartz’s position coaches still in place and Pro Bowl-caliber players at every level of the defense.

Garrett set the NFL’s single-season sacks record in 2025 with 23, so his loss creates a glaring void. Verse had a more modest 7.5 sacks last season for the Rams, but he has played very well in his two NFL seasons, so he will be a valuable piece of this defense. It’s also worth noting that Garrett had only four sacks through six games and that the Cleveland defense continued to play at a high level despite the offense’s continued struggles.

In the secondary, the Browns have proven players in Ward and safety Grant Delpit, who’s headed to the final year of his contract. Cornerback Tyson Campbell played well after being acquired in a trade last October, and the team has high hopes for rookie safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Linebacker Carson Schwesinger seems a near-certainty to become one of the leaders of the locker room and remain the defensive signal-caller. A second-round pick in 2025, Schwesinger became the easy choice as the Defensive Rookie of the Year. Schwesinger, a former walk-on at UCLA, is instinctive, rangy and durable.

After linebacker Devin Bush departed in free agency, the Browns added veteran Quincy Williams to pair with Schwesinger. Williams previously played under Rutenberg with the Jets, and the new linebacker and new coordinator stand out as two of the few fresh faces on a defense that’s looking to maintain its level of play.

While it remains to be seen how the pass rush fares without Garrett, the Browns have heavily invested in defensive tackles and have two standouts there in veteran Maliek Collins and 2025 first-round pick Mason Graham. With Collins coming back from a significant quad injury, 2025 undrafted free agent Adin Huntington and 2026 free-agent pickup Kalia Davis could be asked to play more snaps early on.

Specialists

Outside of kicker Andre Szmyt’s strong finish to the season, 2025 was a disappointing year across the board for the Browns’ special teams. Punter Corey Bojorquez was busy — he led the NFL in punts for a second straight season — but the team again failed to find a consistent weapon in the return game, and the coverage units were subpar.

New special teams coach Byron Storer has Szmyt and Bojorquez back. The Browns will again be one of the league’s youngest teams, but Storer should have a stronger overall roster from which he can choose his core special teams players. The Browns believe Szmyt improved over the course of his first NFL season and has a chance to become the team’s long-term kicker.

Expect Concepcion, Dylan Sampson and Malachi Corley to be in the mix for roles in the return game.

Final analysis

The Browns feel they addressed key areas on the offensive side and hope the defense can remain solid even without Garrett. The 2025 draft class was strong, and if young players across the roster continue to develop, significant improvement in the overall product is possible. But with the lingering question at quarterback and not much depth anywhere, a playoff berth seems unlikely.