The Opening Drive 5/3: Updated Cleveland Browns 2026 Depth Chart

Looking over the Browns roster quality after the NFL Draft has been completed.

May 03, 2026

∙ Paid

The team during the third day of voluntary minicamp on April 23, 2026 at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. (Matt Starkey/Cleveland Browns)

After a turbulent stretch of seasons, the Browns emerge from the 2026 NFL Draft with a roster that tells two very different stories depending on which side of the ball you’re looking at. The defense has a legitimate identity — physical, talented, and anchored by one of the best players in the league. The offense, meanwhile, remains a work in progress, with exciting young weapons surrounding a quarterback situation that still carries enormous uncertainty. This is a team with a real ceiling, but the floor is equally visible if things don’t break right.

Deshaun Watson slots in as the starter — almost by default for now — and the Browns are still showing a commitment to the investment, but the injury concern says everything even the poor performances leave out. The more compelling story in this room is Shedeur Sanders battle to take the job. Dillon Gabriel rounds out a room but Taylen Green will have all eyes focused on his through the summer and into training camp come July and I still don’t expect the Browns to keep four quarterbacks on the final roster.

The wide receiver corps is genuinely exciting for the first time in a long time. Jerry Jeudy is slated to start and needs a bounce-back season at Z. KC Concepcion in the slot and Denzel Boston at X form one of the most exciting rookie duos to watch in the league this year. I expect all three to be interchangeable in roles at times but will most likely have their highest volume of reps in those spots. Cedric Tillman, Tylan Wallace, and Isaiah Bond add slated as depth behind them. The battle for roster spots on the receiver front will be closely contested. The tight end position may be the most underrated improvement in the offense — Harold Fannin Jr. carries the kind of upside that can change how a coordinator builds a game plan, and he’s the kind of weapon that makes everyone around him better when healthy and on the field. The two rookies in Joe Royer and Carsen Ryan will have immediate roles and improve the talent. Jack Stoll has the lead for the block-heavy Y tight end role into the summer but he will be pushed.

The offensive line is also much improved. Spencer Fano at left tackle is a rookie stepping into one of the hardest jobs in football but we’re excited to see how he handles it. Teven Jenkins is currently slotted to start at right guard but that remains fluid based on the outcome of things at center. Zion Johnson will anchor the left guard role. Tytus Howard on the right side is welcome addition at tackle and should improve recent results. Eigton Jenkins at center has both age and injury flags worth monitoring and the Browns want to play him as a guard, but we have to see how things shake out. The biggest concern according to the current setup is interior depth. Zak Zinter is one of the few true guards but the tackle depth, including rookie Austin Barber, can slide inside if needed. We will see what Joel Bitonio decides to do this summer.

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