The wait is almost over. For the first time in the Todd Monken era, the Cleveland Browns will take the field for an official matchup, Sept. 13, with a road date against Trevor Lawrence and the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The Browns added an influx of young talent to their already-improved roster. The likes of KC Concepcion, Spencer Fano, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and Denzel Boston all look like stars in the making.
But while the team is undoubtedly better, several major question marks remain. Considering that, let's take a look at the three players who are most likely to disappoint in 2026.
The Cleveland Browns may be expecting too much from these three projected starters
Zion Johnson - LG
The Cleveland Browns signed Johnson to a three-year, $49.5 million deal during the first wave of free agency. The move was met with mixed reviews at the time, with analysts citing Johnson's impressive athleticism but also his track record of struggles.
He's been locked in as the starting left guard from the jump. Those are some huge shoes to fill, as he's tabbed to replace the retired Joel Bitonio.
Johnson has struggled mightily more often than not. He's now among the Browns' highest-paid players, so it's hard to envision a scenario that leads to him getting benched, even if he doesn't look the part.
The Browns also have doubts at right guard, though, so they might move Johnson there and play Elgton Jenkins at left guard if rookie Parker Brailsford makes up for all the missed time in training camp at some point.
Isaiah McGuire - DE
Isaiah McGuire is entering a contract year, and he'll have a golden opportunity to cash in. With Alex Wright out for the season, McGuire is tabbed to start at defensive end opposite Jared Verse.
McGuire has been widely underrated as a rotational edge rusher who has alternated with Wright. But now that he's expected to be 'the guy,' he may not be able to handle the increased workload.
McGuire could be asked to play the most snaps of his young career, even with Derek Barnett now in the mix. McGuire isn't the fastest or most explosive rusher and can struggle in open space while dropping into coverage.
This could potentially be a case where an uptick in playing time doesn't end up helping the player.
Jerry Jeudy - WR
Jeudy is coming off a fairly disappointing season, but expectations are high again now that the team has a better offensive play-caller, an improved offensive line, and more playmakers to take some pressure off him.
The problem, however, is that the subpar quarterback situation remains, and Jeudy's 2025 struggles were mostly on him. Drops were an issue last year, and he reportedly struggled with that again this summer throughout training camp.
The Browns will soon realize that Jerry Jeudy shouldn't be their primary pass catcher anymore. He's tabbed as their WR1 on paper, but it won't be long before he falls behind in the pecking order, perhaps even leading to a trade.
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