3 Critical Competitions (And 2 That Aren’t) as Browns Near the End of Training Camp

With the conclusion of 2026 training camp just a few days away, the Cleveland Browns still have some figuring out to do on several fronts.

The quarterback competition between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders has taken all the headlines by storm, but there are a few other position battles still ongoing this late into the year.

Here are three other position battles that remain critical for the Browns’ upcoming regular season, plus two that are not, as Cleveland focuses on wrapping up the preseason.

Defensive end

Alex Wright’s injury during a joint practice with the Bills couldn’t have come at a worst time for the Browns, with the team already scrambling and losing out on a couple of notable free agency signings over the past few days -- Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith chose to go elsewhere after visiting Berea.

An already suspect depth situation behind newcomer Jared Verse gets substantially worse, with Isaiah McGuire, Julian Okwara and undrafted free agents Khordae Sydnor and Logan Fano as the next best options. McGuire would seem like the clubhouse leader to take over Wright’s snaps for however long he’s out, but Cleveland has one big problem on its hands right now.

Backup wide receivers

Isaiah Bond has been one of the revelations of training camp, and Luke Floriea has been turning heads, as well. The starting trio of Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston is all but set in stone for Cleveland, but the battle for the next few spots is still ongoing, with Gage Larvadain and Tyal Wallace very much in the running, too.

The significance of this battle could transcend the upcoming campaign, as whomever secures the fourth spot could be in line for a promotion to a starting gig if Cleveland decides to part with the underperforming Jeudy in the not so distant future.

Backup tight end

Expectations are high for the Browns with Harold Fannin Jr. as the team’s top tight end, but it gets real murky afterwards. The Browns were one of two teams in the NFL using multiple tight end sets for over 50 percent of their offensive plays last year, and while it was expected for that number to go down a bit this year under a new offensive coordinator, the depth chart is far from set.

Free agency addition Jack Stoll is now on IR, joining Brenden Bates. That leaves Blake Whiteheart to battle it out with draftee Carsen Ryan for the top backup spot, after fellow rookie Joe Royer left the team for personal matters. Since Whiteheart is more of a blocker, while Ryan is more of a receiver, it looks like both be called upon early and often.

Safety

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren was viewed by many as a first-round talent, so finding him in the second round was already a coup for the Browns. Nonetheless, he hasn’t taken over one of the two starting safety spots in Cleveland just yet -- those still belong to Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman.

Nonetheless, expect to see a ton of McNeil-Warren on the field in big nickel situations, as the Browns find ways to make room for the former Toledo playmaker on defense.

Offensive line

The battle for the center position between Luke Wypler and rookie Parker Brailsford seems settled for now, with Elgton Jenkins taking the spot instead of staying at guard as Monken had previously intended. That will move Teven Jenkins up to right guard, again, while Zion Johnson takes the left side. The tackle positions are also set, with Tytus Howard on the right and first-rounder Spencer Fano on the left side.

For a moment, there seemed to be doubt in regards to Fano being able to hold that position down, or having to revert back to Dawand Jones, but Monken said an altercation between Verse and Fano helped convince him the rookie was ready.

KT Leveston will likely be the top backup on the inside, while rookie Austin Barber takes a backup spot as right tackle. That means that the most probable lineup being projected after April’s draft will be the one starting Week 1 for the Browns.

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