These 5 Browns players just got a wake-up call from the NFL Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books, and on paper, the Cleveland Browns look like a much better football team than they were a few days ago. 

It’s not a stretch to say that the Browns added at least four potential starters in offensive tackle Spencer Fano, defensive back Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.

That’s great news for the Browns, whose overall roster was in rough shape at the start of 2026 free agency. GM Andrew Berry has since overhauled the offensive line, while adding a number of new pieces to the tight end and wide receiver rooms. Head coach Todd Monken has been preaching the word "competition,” and there should be a lot of that by the time training camp kicks off in late July.

That should serve as a wake-up call, however, for a number of returning veteran players whose roles just got cloudier with a new 10-player draft class, plus a slew of undrafted rookie signings, are on their way to Berea.

The Browns’ draft moves just put serious pressure on these players

QB Dillon Gabriel 

The third wheel to Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson now has company, as the Browns used a sixth-round pick on Arkansas’ Taylen Green on Saturday. Green’s dual-threat abilities make him an intriguing fit for Monken’s offense, but make no mistake — it’s Gabriel, not Sanders, who will enter training camp as a cut or trade candidate.

Sanders was actually one of the big winners of draft weekend, as Cleveland passed on spending a premium pick on Alabama’s Ty Simpson or Miami’s Carson Beck. With a new surplus of weapons to work with this summer, Sanders has a golden opportunity to prove to the coaching staff that he’s the right man for the QB1 job. 

Gabriel, however, should be looking over his shoulder. Smart NFL franchises spend sixth-round picks on quarterbacks with an eye on developing them into a tradable asset down the line. Green likely isn’t going anywhere, and that puts Gabriel firmly on the roster bubble. The Browns have only kept four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster once in Berry’s six years as GM.

OT Dawand Jones

The Browns were expected to add competition for Jones in this draft, and they may have done so in a more aggressive fashion than fans anticipated. After using the No. 9 overall pick on Utah’s Spencer Fano, the Browns traded up to select Florida’s Austin Barber late on Day 2. 

Jones, who missed the majority of the 2025 season to a knee injury, is expected to be a full-go as Monken’s offseason program heats up in the coming weeks. But his chances of entering Week 1 as the Browns’ starting left tackle now feel questionable at best.

WR Jerry Jeudy 

The Browns were adamant over the weekend that Jeudy remains in their plans for the 2026 season, but we’ll have to see it to believe it. He’s coming off a brutal 2025 season, is due about $13.5 million in cash this year, and decided to skip Monken’s first voluntary vet minicamp ahead of the draft next week.

Jeudy may carry himself like a No. 1 wide receiver, but he definitely hasn’t proven that on the field. If the Browns can find trade suitors after June 1, Cleveland could move on from Jeudy for around $4 million in salary cap savings, and roll with a young starting receiver group of Concepcion, Boston, and Isaiah Bond.

CB Myles Harden

Thanks to their heavy emphasis on offensive players, the Browns passed on adding depth at key defensive positions like cornerback and edge rusher. The move up the board in Round 2 to land McNeil-Warren stands as one of the biggest steals of the weekend. He’s listed as a safety, but he has the ability to move around the formation and slide over to the nickel spot when needed.

The Browns could use help at nickel, as Myles Harden had a trying year in 2025, especially against the run. McNeil-Warren profiles as the ultimate chess piece for defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg, and Harden could quickly see a reduction in snaps as a result.

IOL Teven Jenkins 

After stocking up at the tackle position in the early rounds, the Browns added some depth for the offensive interior in Alabama’s Parker Brailsford, who should get a chance to compete for Cleveland’s starting center role this offseason. 

The Browns have a pair of locked-in starters in Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson. If Brailsford indeed wins the competition at center, Teven Jenkins, who signed a modest one-year deal to remain with the team in free agency, could either get demoted or moved off the roster entirely.

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