The Cleveland Browns had gotten off to one of the most surprising starts in the NFL this season. After a disastrous debut against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1, the Browns were able to reel off three straight victories. The good times came to an end on Sunday against the New York Jets, but the season's far from over.
Through the win streak, Cleveland has been getting away with playing sloppy football and coming out with the victory anyway. Against the Jets, the mistakes piled up, and finally, an opponent made them pay. A bumpy road was to be expected with such a young team; nonetheless, a loss is a loss.
On the bright side, each game constitutes another layer of experience for the Browns' impressive rookie class. They're growing, and the team is improving, even if the game's result doesn't reflect that.
Browns rookies generally did their part in a disappointing loss to the Jets
Left tackle Spencer Fano
Fano played well in the Browns' victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, and he elevated his game even further in Week 5. He played all 68 snaps on offense and allowed just one pressure on a day when Cleveland passed a whopping 48 times. For the afternoon, he was the offense's second-highest-graded player according to Pro Football Focus.
At times this season, Fano has had solid performances in one phase while struggling in the other. Sunday was the first game this season in which he achieved grades of 69.0 or higher in both run and pass blocking. Through five weeks, Fano has been wildly impressive for a tackle with supposedly "short arms."
Verdict: Stock has steadied and is now comfortably rising
Wide receiver KC Concepcion
Concepcion was on the heels of his best game as a pro, though Sunday's contest will be memorable for the wrong reasons. He was only able to play 11 snaps on the day, reeling in his lone target for five yards. On that target, Concepcion was violently walloped by Jets safety Minkah Fitzpatrick with an illegal hit to the head.
The hit forced him out of the game for the remainder of the afternoon. If any fanbase thought lowly of Fitzpatrick, it was the Browns' fanbase, after he was responsible for the hit that shredded Nick Chubb's knee back in 2023. Let's just say he's not changing many opinions in Cleveland.
Verdict: Stock is unchanged and hopes are high for a speedy recovery for the speedster
Wide receiver Denzel Boston
Boston has made his mark in each game this season, and Sunday was no different. He was targeted seven times and hauled in three of them for 46 yards and the Browns' lone touchdown on the day. Boston remains the catalyst of unbridled rookie wide receiver excitement in Cleveland, something the fans perhaps haven't experienced since Josh Gordon was a rookie in 2012.
PFF graded his performance as the fourth-best on offense and the best among skill-position players. In many ways, he was one of the few bright spots on a day the Browns struggled to get moving.
Verdict: Stock continues to climb as Boston proves himself a lasting force
Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
EMW has been consistently utilized by defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, and Sunday's performance was his best-graded outing so far. McNeil-Warren earned an otherworldly 92.0 grade from PFF, with a 92.6 coverage grade doing the heavy lifting. In fact, his coverage was apparently so suffocating that Jets quarterback Geno Smith didn't throw into his area all afternoon.
McNeil-Warren was credited with three combined tackles, and he was docked for a missed tackle as well. In any case, it's becoming increasingly hard to keep him off the field. Browns fans are understandably eager for more.
Verdict: Stock just took a huge leap
Right guard Austin Barber
Austin Barber has been a pleasant surprise for the Browns all season long. The third-round rookie was not expected to contribute this early, but he's played 100 percent of the offensive snaps this season. Against the Jets, he was blamed for one sack on the day, though that was the only pressure he allowed.
While his grade wasn't spectacular on Sunday, he continued to be adequate. That's a big deal on the offensive line. Barber was the seventh-ranked player on offense. Despite allowing a sack, he graded out particularly well as a pass blocker, earning a 72.6 grade.
Verdict: Stock is unchanged
Linebacker Justin Jefferson
Sunday marked Jefferson's NFL debut after being inactive for the first four games of the season. He was credited with one tackle on the day. Though he didn't get on the field on defense, he played 21 special teams snaps.
For his efforts, PFF graded him seventh of the 38 players to participate on special teams. While it was a tough day overall for Cleveland in that department, it doesn't appear that blame should be hurled in Jefferson's way.
Verdict: Stock has risen from the dead
A common thread here is that the rookie class has been largely responsible for the positive developments for the Browns this season or, at the very least, has stayed out of the way. That's more than can be said for many of their veteran teammates.
Cleveland is still awaiting NFL debuts for tight end Joe Royer, offensive lineman Parker Brailsford, and quarterback Taylen Green. Seventh-round rookie Carsen Ryan had played in every game this season but was inactive on Sunday due to a calf injury.
There aren't any moral victories in pro football, but there are trends. The Browns' rookie class is trending in the right direction.
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