The Cleveland Browns completed a three-day rookie minicamp over the weekend, and some relatively unknown players may have boosted their stock entering the next phase of the offseason program, which will be voluntary OTAs starting May 19.
Following the 2026 NFL Draft, we crafted our first 53-man roster projection for the 2026 Browns, including all 10 of their draft picks and some rookie free agents. The team is clearly in the middle of a youth movement, and we leaned into that even more based on the latest intel from Berea over the weekend.
If you love rookies, you’ll love our updated 53-man roster projection — which features 13 total rookies, including 10 draft picks and three UDFAs.
Updated Browns 53-man roster projection leans even further into the youth movement
Quarterback (3)
In: Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Taylen Green
Trade/cut: Dillon Gabriel
Updates since the NFL Draft: No changes
The early buzz around Green only increased after he impressed both on the field and behind the podium with the media during the Browns’ rookie minicamp. Watson’s locked onto the roster through 2026 because of his contract, Sanders isn’t going anywhere, and the team just made Green the first quarterback drafted during Monken’s tenure as head coach.
The Browns are highly unlikely to keep four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. That leaves Gabriel as the clear odd-man out. In this projection, the Browns trade him right before cut-down day in August for a swap of late-round 2027 draft picks.
Running back (3)
In: Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders
Out: Michael Burton
Updates since the NFL Draft: No changes
Monken’s offense typically utilizes a fullback, and the team signed Burton after the draft. At 34 years old, he seems like little more than veteran insurance at this point, especially after seventh-round rookie tight end Carsen Ryan confirmed to reporters at minicamp that he aligned out of the backfield and played some fullback in college.
For now, let’s keep Burton closer to training camp depth than a serious contender for a roster spot.
Wide receiver (6)
In: Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Isaiah Bond, Tylan Wallace, Aaron Anderson
Trade: Cedric Tillman
Practice squad: Jamari Thrash, Malachi Corley, Gage Larvadain, Isaiah Wooden, Luke Floriea
Updates since the NFL Draft: Tillman to the trade block; Anderson in; Thrash to the practice squad
Immediately after the draft, there was obvious buzz around Jeudy moving to the trade block after the team used a pair of top-40 picks on Concepcion and Boston. Jeudy had also skipped Monken’s voluntary veteran minicamp the week before.
The Browns are going to need some veteran influence in their wide receiver room, and after the team restructured the contract of offensive tackle Dawand Jones to avoid his 2026 performance escalator, the writing’s now on the wall for Tillman. He’s now due to make $3.9 million, per Spotrac, on his own performance escalator, but none of that money is guaranteed. The Browns could save that full number on their 2026 salary cap via a trade or straight release. Jeudy’s the better receiver of the two, so the projection here is that he stays, and Tillman goes.
We’re keeping Wallace in the mix, for now, thanks to his experience with Monken in Baltimore as well as his special teams experience. That leaves one wild-card selection, and given the buzz around Anderson during minicamp this past weekend, let’s give him the early edge over Thrash, who heads back to the practice squad.
Aaron Anderson (80) the LSU WR, has had a good showing today. Feel like every time I look up he’s making a play #Browns. pic.twitter.com/VpGeYiCPzX
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) May 8, 2026
Tight end (3)
In: Harold Fannin Jr., Joe Royer, Carsen Ryan
Practice squad: Blake Whiteheart, Jack Stoll, Caden Prieskorn
Updates since the NFL Draft: Whiteheart to the practice squad
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Browns keep a fourth tight end on the roster, as this group, currently led by Fannin and a pair of rookies, is extremely young. Whiteheart was around the team last season and Stoll brings some upside as a blocker. Neither player has any fully guaranteed cash in their contracts for 2026, per Over the Cap, so that signals a path to both being moved to the practice squad, where they could be elevated as needed on game weeks.
Ryan’s versatility to mix in at fullback makes his roster spot feel safe at this point. That could change, though, if the Browns look to add a more legitimate No. 2 tight end to pair with Fannin. Cleveland passed on bringing back David Njoku, who signed a reasonable one-year deal with the Chargers worth up to $8 million on Monday, and their need to fill his spot remains.
Offensive linemen (11)
In: Spencer Fano, Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins, Dawand Jones, Austin Barber, Luke Wypler, Parker Brailsford, Zak Zinter, KT Leveston
Out/practice squad: Tyre Phillips, Jack Conley, Kendrick Green
Updates since the NFL Draft: KT Leveston from practice squad to 53-man roster
After the draft, it seemed like Cleveland’s decision to draft a pair of tackles in the first three rounds was a bad sign for Leveston, who should enter training camp this summer on the roster bubble. He showed some improvement when inserted as a starter late in the 2025 season, though, allowing just one sack over Cleveland’s final five games. As a seventh-round pick in 2024, the assumption here is that the Browns look to keep Leveston in the mix as a developmental depth piece who can play both tackle spots.
In this projection, Leveston is the main beneficiary of Whiteheart moving to the practice squad.
Defensive line (10)
In: Myles Garrett, Alex Wright, Maliek Collins, Mason Graham, Isaiah McGuire, Mike Hall Jr., Kalia Davis, Adin Huntington, Logan Fano, Elijah Chatman
Practice squad: Tyreak Sapp, Sam Kamara, Julian Okwara
Updates since the NFL Draft: Chatman in, Sapp to the practice squad
This group feels firm, with Fano ranking as the team’s top roster priority of the undrafted free agents. Fans shouldn’t sleep on Sapp, though, as he brings some positional versatility and plenty of juice against the run, which was a problem area for Cleveland in 2025.
The newcomer is Chatman, who was released by the New York Giants and promptly claimed by Cleveland on waivers last week. He moves extremely well for a man of his size (278 pounds), and he was also a factor at times for the Giants as a fullback on offense. He feels like a player the Browns targeted and will look to keep around.
Linebacker (4)
In: Carson Schwesinger, Quincy Williams, Justin Jefferson, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold
PUP: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Practice squad: Nathaniel Watson, Edefuan Ulofoshio, Winston Reid
Updates since the NFL Draft: No changes
As expected, the Browns placed Owusu-Koramoah on the season-ending reserve/PUP list last week. The team would likely prefer to protect five linebackers on the active roster. It could take a trade or free agent acquisition this summer to find that player, though, as this group feels quite thin beyond starters Schwesinger and Williams.
Defensive back (10)
In: Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell, Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Myles Harden, Myles Bryant, Dom Jones, Daniel Thomas, Michael Coats
Practice squad: D’Angelo Ross, Tre Avery, Donovan McMillon
Updates since the NFL Draft: Coats in, Ross out
The Browns agreed to terms with Coats, a UDFA cornerback who profiles best at nickel, for over $100,000 in guarantees. That signals serious interest in a player with excellent speed and some physicality for a 5-foot-9 defensive back.
Coats should challenge Myles Harden this summer for the Browns’ starting nickel role with a real shot to win the job.
Specialists (3)
In: Corey Bojorquez, Andre Szmyt, Rex Sunahara
Out: Nik Constantinou
Updates since the NFL Draft: No changes
Add us as a preferred source on Google