The NFL world isn’t expecting the 2026 Cleveland Browns to win more than a half-dozen games at best this season, but that doesn’t mean they won’t be a national story entering training camp.
From the ongoing quarterback battle between Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson to the double-digit position battles that remain up in the air, Todd Monken’s Browns have a chance to be the talk of the summer.
Cleveland has a young training camp roster that’s bursting at the seams with talent, and we’re about to get our first glimpse at how things are coming together when camp kicks off on Wednesday.
Through that lens, here are some Browns players entering Day 1 on the upswing — and others at risk of falling behind.
These six Browns have the most to gain — or lose — when practices begin in Berea
Trending up: QB Shedeur Sanders
The reporting on Cleveland’s quarterback competition held firm throughout the spring, with Deshaun Watson holding a slight edge over Sanders thanks to his experience and mobility. But the first-team reps have been mostly split, and Monken told reporters that will continue this summer, at least until the pads come on next week.
Sanders still has to prove he’s the better fit for Cleveland to justify sitting Watson and his $46 million salary on the bench this season. But Sanders is definitely entering training camp with some momentum after closing Monken’s spring program on a high note.
Trending down: WR Cedric Tillman
Tillman had an extremely quiet spring, with much of the focus centering on rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, and rising second-year wideout Isaiah Bond. The Browns also have Jerry Jeudy and tight end Harold Fannin in the mix, primed for key roles.
There may not be enough targets to go around for the Browns to justify carrying Tillman’s $3.6 million salary into Week 1. He’s got the talent to make the roster, but the numbers have him trending in the wrong direction.
Trending up: WR Isaiah Bond
Bond flashed some downfield playmaking ability late last season with Sanders under center, and he appears to be putting it all together entering his second Browns training camp. According to ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi, Bond was Cleveland’s most targeted receiver during the spring program.
If Bond can carry that momentum into the summer, he should carve out a valuable field-stretching role in Monken’s offense this season.
Trending down: OT Dawand Jones
Cleveland’s offseason moves put Jones in a tough spot entering camp. He won the Browns’ starting left tackle job in 2025 before his season ended in Week 3 due to a knee injury. Jones appears to be healthy again, but he’s behind Spencer Fano and Tytus Howard on the current depth chart, and could slip further if the team chooses to deploy rookie Austin Barber as its main swing tackle.
If the Browns loved Jones, they could have transitioned him to right guard this spring, but that spot appears to be earmarked for Teven Jenkins. Jones faces an uphill climb to see meaningful reps this summer, and while he took a pay cut to remain with the team this offseason, his roster spot is far from guaranteed.
Trending up: WR Tylan Wallace
One of the Browns’ under-the-radar free agent signings has set himself up to be a roster lock this summer.
Monken spent the last three seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, and Wallace is the lone former Ravens player that he recruited to Cleveland. Wallace appeared poised to battle for a core special teams role, but he looked comfortable and flashed as a receiver during the spring program.
Familiarity and versatility should keep Wallace firmly in the 53-man roster conversation.
Trending down: DT Maliek Collins
Collins will literally be down at the start of training camp, as the team placed him on the active/PUP list. He’s still managing the quad injury that cost him the final five games of the 2025 season.
Collins is coming off a career year and should be a locked-in starter for the Browns if healthy. But he just turned 31, is coming off a tough injury, and he has some young linemen, like Mike Hall Jr. and Adin Huntington, battling for reps behind him. The more time Collins misses this summer, the more interesting Cleveland's interior defensive line battle becomes next to Mason Graham.
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