For a time this offseason, the Browns had their fans petrified that they were going to ignore the wide receiver room entirely. When Day 1 of the NFL Draft commenced, Cleveland's top three wideouts on the depth chart mirrored the ones they finished the season with. In other words, it appeared that general manager Andrew Berry truly forgot the position existed, not hyperbolically, but actually.
Luckily, any concerns of amnesia befalling the Cleveland front office were whisked away promptly on draft day. The Browns addressed the position in the first round, selecting KC Concepcion out of Texas A&M at pick No. 24 before doubling back and nabbing Denzel Boston near the top of the second round at pick No. 39.
Boston has been grabbing headlines with the same ferocity he plucks a jump ball over a defensive back's head, leaving some wondering about Concepcion. To begin with, these are just practices with light-to-no contact allowed. What's more, players learn and grow at their own pace. There is one way to try to accelerate that growth process, and the Browns seem open to trying it.
Getting the ball in KC Concepcion's hands needs to be a priority (even if it's on special teams)
The Athletic's Zac Jackson wrote about his belief that KC Concepcion will be the Browns' primary punt returner in 2026, a development that should excite Browns fans, at least at this stage of his career.
"I think rookie KC Concepcion will be the primary punt returner. I think the competition for the kickoff return and core special teams coverage jobs will be among players already slotted to make the roster as backups. Youth should win out, even as camp brings us a set of surprises. Like having a quarterback competition with no true favorite, some things happen every year."
Concepcion has been lauded for his propensity to make big plays with the ball in his hands. This makes it a slam-dunk decision to get him the ball as often and in as many ways as possible. The road has been paved by standouts who went on to have a great deal of success.
As rookies, Tyreek Hill, DeSean Jackson, and Tyler Lockett are all recent examples of players who were able to contribute on offense (each had more than 600 yards receiving) and be exemplary on special teams (north of 390 yards via punt returns). Just last year, the Tennessee Titans' Chimere Dike was their third-leading receiver and their top punt and kick returner.
There's also another reason fans should love to see this happen. When a franchise finds itself in the midst of a quarterback competition between a second-year, Day 3 pick who finished his rookie year with a 68.1 passer rating and a veteran who hasn't played an actual football game in almost two years, there's plenty to leave unsaid about that team's predicament. Whether it's Deshaun Watson or Shedeur Sanders, the Browns are probably going to run the ever-loving snot out of the ball in 2026.
While this is great news for fantasy football players who may be targeting Quinshon Judkins as a sleeper pick, it inherently means fewer targets for the rookie wideouts. It's important for the Browns to try to aid their youngsters in their development anyway. Just because they're not getting peppered with 10–12 targets a game doesn't mean they can't learn and be impactful. One way they could aid the learning curve with Concepcion in particular is via the punt return role.
It will involve him in the game and (hopefully) reinvigorate a special teams unit that was an abject disaster in 2025. Last year, 45 players returned five or more punts for their teams. Gage Larvadain, the Browns' primary punt returner, had a 7.0 average yards per return, which ranked tied for 36th. What makes matters worse is that he had the 15th most cracks at it. The Browns did not get good returns on their investment.
That can change with KC Concepcion leading the way in 2026. Come 2027, whether Shedeur Sanders has cemented himself as the answer at quarterback or the Browns turn elsewhere, Concepcion will be ready for a leap when the passing game is ready to be opened up. It might disappoint fans in the interim, but it's important to see the bigger picture.
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