The Cleveland Browns have finished with their training camp portion of the 2026 preseason process. They now go into practices and then compete in three exhibition games.
What the coaching staff is gearing up for is the final cutdown on August 30.
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Training camp always reveals so many things. Certain players who were penciled in as starters suddenly find themselves as a backup when another guy has outplayed him. High-round rookies don’t light up the town as the media
and fanbase have assumed they would. Then, out of nowhere, an undrafted veteran or rookie comes along and shines, then makes the final roster.
Practice sessions are fair to everyone. Coaches do not care if a guy is a first-or second-round draft pick. They don’t have any reason to shun lesser-known athletes or guys who never heard their name called on draft day.
The coaching staff simply wants the best athletes on the field who can do their job.
This year’s Browns training camp is different because there is a new head coach, plus many new coaches on his staff. Every year, there are plenty of new faces who just want to play this game and get paid. Certain guys ball out, while others disappoint.
Here are three players who used training camp to their advantage, and another three who stood out as riding the disappointment train.
WINNERS
The rookie receivers
Yes, this is a duo instead of just one guy, but this rookie class has already made headlines with both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston being the offensive stars of camp.
Everyone knew that the Browns needed better receivers this year, and GM Andrew Berry snagged a pair with this second and third draft picks.
Concepcion has great speed and has been catching everything. Rarely does he drop a ball, and he has been getting in some work as a returner. His burst has really jumped off the screen, and he has great deep speed. Boston’s overall size has been a huge plus, and he knows how to use his long frame. Very good skills in contested catches so far and a crafty route runner. Good blocker as well.
OG KT Leveston
When Leveston came to the Browns last year, he was projected to be a swing tackle as Cleveland had all of its horses back along the offensive line. Attrition has always been an issue with the Browns, and Bill Callahan wasn’t around to apply Band-Aids, and Leveston was inserted as both Jack Conklin and Dawand Jones fell by the wayside.
Leveston did not do well.
This year, he has been moved to right guard and has had a very good camp. He is in competition with Teven Jenkins for the starting role. His game has completely reversed itself as he appears steadier and has shown power and solid technique with his long arms, an asset in the middle of the line. His size (6’-4”, 326 pounds) screams offensive tackle, but he has settled in nicely and doesn’t seem to have that air of responsibility like a tackle has.
LB Quincy Williams
There were major questions when Devin Bush signed elsewhere, but Williams has shown that he and Carson Schwesinger can stop the run and cover tight ends without issue. It seemed that every practice, Williams was making some noteworthy play. He is proving that he will become a force in stopping the run game. He is also a good coverage guy.
Williams has shown very good aggression as well. He has good sideline-to-sideline speed, so he is proving to be an every-down backer just like Schwesinger. He is also very physical. He came into camp as a potential candidate who had a lot of experience, but he cemented that he is a capable tackler who should have high tackling numbers.
LOSERS
WR Jerry Jeudy
The coaching staff keeps moving Jeudy around and feels this will free him up by not keeping him in one position and that he can be more successful on the move. But he has been a roller coaster in practices.
He is known for drops, and that has continued in this year’s camp. What he needed was a bounce-back development to show that he is still WR1 and these younger guys are complements to his game. However, the exact opposite is happening. The two new young guys, along with veteran Tylan Wallace, are the ones balling out and showing progress.
What might help his game is to revert to the short game and leave the long ball to Concepcion. Maybe insert him into the slot instead of outside. But his camp has not been good.
Backup cornerbacks
This room is in trouble if either Denzel Ward or Tyson Campbell is injured and misses games. Too bad GM Andrew Berry didn’t bring back M. J. Emerson, but the quality just isn’t there this year.
Myles Harden holds his own as the nickelback situated in the slot. But the remainder of this room has gotten beaten regularly and often. There are 11 corners in camp. D’Angelo Ross, Michael Coats, and Tre Avery are the ones most widely used behind the starters. Coats is an undrafted rookie and has shown the most of the three, but each one gets fooled by head bob and shoulder shakes.
In the above clip, that is Avery trying to stay with Concepcion, and he gets totally juked out of the picture.
None of the other corners are in a position to take live snaps on any game day. Former Indianapolis Colts veteran Kenny Moore remains unsigned. Just sayin’.
Offensive line
So far, the new-look offensive line is more of a who is new in our offensive backfield? Almost every potential starter has had an ailment at some point. The shuffling continues without any real definition of who the five starters are going to be.
Center Elgton Jenkins missed sessions due to minor residual soreness, but returned to full squad practice. His backup, Parker Brailsford, has been wearing a brace on his right hand. He was expected to fight for the starting role, but instead has missed valuable time and, upon his return, may end up as the third center now that Luke Wypler has stepped into the backup role.
The battle for right guard continues, which is a good thing. Both Teven Jenkins and KT Leveston have gotten their fair share of first-team reps and will solidify this position. At left tackle, it is still undecided between rookie Spencer Fano and Dawand Jones. This might not be decided until the week before the first game.
At right tackle, Tytus Howard has had some nicks of his own. In a recent practice, he walked off the practice field with a trainer, then watched from the sidelines. In his place have been Jones and the rookie Austin Barber, who was penciled in as the backup before Howard’s unknown injury.
Injuries occur all over the roster. We get that. But what hasn’t happened with this new lineup on the offensive line is that there is very little cohesiveness going on. Pre-snap penalties are the flavor of the day, as is holding laundry. None of these are working together as one unit. The only player who hasn’t had any issues has been LG Zion Johnson. Everywhere you look, there is an issue.
Who are your winners and losers from Browns training camp this year?
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