The Cleveland Browns went heavy on offense in the 2026 NFL Draft, using eight of their ten picks on that side of the ball. Cleveland would double-dip on wide receiver early, taking Texas A&M's KC Concepcion 24th overall and Washington's Denzel Boston 39th overall. We have already taken a look at the projections for Boston, but what do they look like for Concepcion?
Lance Zierlein, draft analyst for NFL.com, went through and projected rookie seasons for the top offensive and defensive rookies for 2026, and here's his breakdown on Concepcion:
Best-case scenario: As the best separator in this year’s rookie class, Concepcion quickly establishes himself as the Browns’ go-to option in the passing game. With Cleveland playing from behind in most games,
Concepcion sees his target count grow as the season progresses.
Worst-case scenario: Beset by spotty quarterback play, Concepcion fails to get off the launch pad in Year 1. Cleveland’s QBs are more reliant on bigger targets like Denzel Boston and Harold Fannin Jr., leaving Concepcion with a surprisingly low target count.
Projected stats: 66 catches for 779 yards, 5 TDs.
66 receptions would be fairly quality, given the lack of quarterback talent there is in Cleveland right now. However, even with spotty QB play, should Concepcion primarily line up in the slot, there's a real chance he gets the lion's share of targets. While saying he could break the rookie record for receptions, which is 112, it isn't outside the realm of possibility that he ends up near 85 this season.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Best and worse case projections for Browns' KC Concepcion
