6 winners (and 3 losers) from the Browns' wild final week of OTAs

The Cleveland Browns wrapped up their third and final week of voluntary spring OTAs on Thursday — and there’s been plenty to talk about. 

From the stunning Myles Garrett trade that shook the entire NFL to its core on Monday night, to Shedeur Sanders making moves in Cleveland’s ongoing quarterback competition, there’s been plenty for fans to grapple with. And we’re not even to the good part of head coach Todd Monken’s first offseason program yet.

That starts to arrive this week, when the Browns will host a mandatory, full-squad minicamp. Cleveland is scheduled to practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday before breaking for a month ahead of the start of training camp in mid-July.

There’s typically only so much to glean from a few blocks of voluntary practices without pads or any real football contact whatsoever. That wasn’t the case for the 2026 Browns, though, who closed some doors but also may have opened several others since kicking off OTAs on May 19.

Shedeur Sanders and Quinshon Judkins are trending up, while other Browns face an uncertain summer

Winner: RB Quinshon Judkins

Any spring practice participation would have been a positive sign for Judkins, who suffered a gruesome leg injury in late December that left him with a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula. Judkins’ burst during OTAs has been a talking point as the Browns’ starting running back looks 100 percent ready to roll for training camp next month.

Loser: QB Dillon Gabriel

Week 3 of OTAs was particularly brutal for Gabriel, who’s going to need a new jersey number after the arrival of Jared “V8” Verse on June 1 via the Garrett trade. Monken also raved to reporters that he feels like the team has two starting-caliber quarterbacks on the roster — and he wasn’t talking about Gabriel; he was referring to Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. The writing’s on the wall for Gabriel, who feels like the odd-man out in the room with sixth-round rookie Taylen Green projected to be the No. 3 QB.

Winner: QB Shedeur Sanders

The reports from Wednesday’s open OTA practice were that Sanders was Cleveland’s best quarterback on the field. Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network took it a step further, saying Sanders’ improvement with working through his progressions as a passer has resonated with the coaching staff. Perhaps for the first time all year to date, the arrow is pointing up on Sanders potentially beating out Watson for the starting job.

Loser: QB Deshaun Watson

Monken has stated on multiple occasions that he would like to have his mind made up on the quarterback depth chart by the opening week of camp. It sure sounds like that decision will be delayed — and that’s brutal news for Watson. Cleveland has leaned into a full youth movement, and if the competition between Watson and Sanders is really this close, why wouldn’t the team go with the younger QB with untapped upside who better fits their current situation and timeline?

Winner: OL Spencer Fano

Fano, Cleveland’s No. 9 overall pick in April’s draft, was running with the second-string offensive line during the first week of OTAs. By the end? He was running as the starting left tackle. He likely won’t be moving around anytime soon as Monken has already confirmed Fano as a starter along with Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, Tytus Howard, and player still to be named.

Winner: WR Isaiah Bond

Bond flashed some chemistry with Sanders down the stretch in 2025, and that connection has continued to blossom this spring. Bond caught a long touchdown bomb from Sanders on Wednesday, and Monken raved about how Bond has come on over the last week and a half especially. He should be heavily involved on offense this year.

Loser: WR Cedric Tillman

Two notable Browns players received proven performance escalators in their contracts this offseason — offensive tackle Dawand Jones and wide receiver Cedric Tillman. The Browns restructured Jones’ deal, essentially taking away the escalator while guaranteeing his original 2026 salary and locking him onto the 53-man roster. They haven’t addressed Tillman’s $3.6 million in potential non-guaranteed earnings this year, and given the current strength of the Browns’ WR depth chart with Jerry Jeudy, Bond, KC Concepcion, and Denzel Boston poised to lead the group, Tillman could need to have a monster summer to avoid the trade block. So far, he’s off to an extremely quiet start. 

Winner: WR Denzel Boston

The Browns found the eventual 2025 Defensive Rookie of the Year in linebacker Carson Schwesinger on Day 2 of the draft. Could they pull it off again with second-round receiver Denzel Boston this year? There’s been plenty of chatter this spring about Boston’s smooth route-running, plus size, and good hands. Jeudy should operate as the Browns’ clear No. 1 wide receiver this season, but Boston may not be as far behind as fans thought immediately following the draft.

Winner: DC Mike Rutenberg

Yes, the Browns traded Garrett during Week 3 of OTAs, and while everyone’s excited about new pass rusher Jared Verse entering the mix, defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg’s elite roster just took a significant step back on paper. The quiet part is that the Browns’ defense has been dominating OTAs throughout, and that was without key starters like Garrett, Denzel Ward, and Grant Delpit on the field. What Cleveland’s defense looks like in 2026 without its best player of the past decade remains to be seen, but Rutenberg hasn’t seemed over his head in his new role — not even close.

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