The Cleveland Browns used a first-round pick on wide receiver KC Concepcion in the 2026 Draft, and there has been a clear plan to get the dynamic receiver involved in the Browns offense. Concepcion leads Cleveland with 20 targets, and he’s also tied for third on the team in rushing attempts with four, trailing only Quinshon Judkins and Deshaun Watson.
However, Concepcion‘s production isn’t quite matching the volume of his usage yet. Despite leading the team with 20 targets, he’s third in receiving yards with only 80 on 12 catches. Additionally, on his four rushes, Concepcion has just nine yards.
Cleveland recognizes that the rookie is an explosive playmaker who needs the ball in his hands, so why hasn’t he had many big plays yet? While there are a few factors at play, it’s important to note that Concepcion‘s lack of production doesn’t seem to be his doing.
Browns must do a better job of setting KC Concepcion up to make plays
The first factor is that just about all of the offensive weapons are struggling to get going. Second-year tight end Harold Fannin Jr. just started building some momentum in the last two weeks, but everyone else on the offense is looking for some consistency. Denzel Boston leads the team with 195 receiving yards, but he only has nine receptions, and the bulk of his yardage has come on a few really big plays.
Running back Quinshon Judkins only has 124 rushing yards on 42 attempts, and then there’s Jerry Jeudy, who has been easily forgotten because of his quiet start to the season. After three games, Jeudy has only been targeted five times, catching two passes for 26 yards, and both catches came in Week 1.
All of their lack of production ties into the second point: Deshaun Watson is still playing inconsistently. While the veteran quarterback has been changing the narrative around him because of his ability to make timely, winning plays, a look at his film actually reveals a quarterback still working through some flaws.
That is especially on display with Watson’s lack of a connection with Concepcion. During the Browns’ Week 3 win over the Carolina Panthers, Watson had some brutal misses when targeting a wide-open Concepcion. One came on a slant, another came on an out, and Watson also overthrew the rookie receiver on a quick wide receiver screen. All three were simple passes that have to be made, and Watson admitted that.
Another critical moment between Watson and Concepcion came on the drive that Cleveland scored the game-winning touchdown. With the Browns on the Panthers’ 30-yard line, the rookie wideout was lined up in the slot, and immediately won off the line of scrimmage on a seam route. With the single-high safety moving away from Concepcion, Watson could’ve connected with the rookie on an explosive go-ahead touchdown.
The veteran quarterback didn’t throw it, though. After looking to the other side of the field, Watson rolled out of the pocket in Concepcion‘s direction. He directed the receiver to turn out and threw him a contested ball. The pass was deflected and intercepted, but ultimately overturned because of a roughing the passer penalty.
As Browns fans know, everything worked out and Cleveland got in the end zone a few plays later. However, Watson missed a big play to Concepcion, and it almost led to a disaster.
Ultimately, KC Concepcion is doing his part and catching the accurate passes thrown his way. If the Browns see some improvement at the quarterback position, Concepcion‘s production should start showing up.
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