5 Breakout Players Who Could Break Cleveland Browns Out of AFC North Basement

The Cleveland Browns have finished the last two seasons in fourth place in the AFC North.

In 2023, the Browns were the No. 2 seed in the division and cracked the playoffs thanks to a magic carpet ride from journeyman quarterback Joe Flacco. But the year prior, the Browns were in the basement of the AFC North once again.

Heading into 2026, this is a new-look division. Of course in Cleveland, Todd Monken has replaced Kevin Stefanski, who was fired following his sixth season coaching the team. But in Baltimore, the Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh after 18 seasons. Mike Tomlin resigned from his job as the head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers following his 19th season.

Even though the Browns could very well start the wildly unpopular Deshaun Watson at quarterback in 2026, general manager Andrew Berry has done an impressive job adding young talent to this roster.

Here are five breakout players who could help break the Browns out of the basement in a changed AFC North.

1. Shedeur Sanders, QB

Sanders might not be named Cleveland’s Week 1 starting quarterback.

But there’s no denying that the 2025 fifth-round draft pick is the best path forward for the Browns.

He’s wildly popular with the fans, showed some promising flashes during his first seven starts, and has a Day 3 rookie salary that would allow the Browns to invest their cap space elsewhere. Not to mention, with all of the extra draft capital the Browns received from the blockbuster Myles Garrett deal, Sanders alleviating Cleveland’s need for a franchise quarterback would allow Berry to complete this rebuild with an exclamation point.

Sanders will resume his quarterback competition against Watson during Cleveland’s training camp which starts up at the end of July.

2. Quinshon Judkins, RB

Because of Cleveland’s uncertainty at quarterback, it’s never a bad idea to plan around running the football.

Berry invested significantly into retooling Cleveland’s entire offensive line. Judkins had 230 carries for 827 yards and seven touchdowns as a rookie. But with this new offensive line, the 22-year-old should be able to eclipse those numbers from last season.

Judkins missed the final three games for the Browns due to a gruesome leg injury in late December. But he looked tremendously healthy in spring practices, cutting and shifting on that surgically-repaired knee.

3. Mason Graham, DT

Graham is another player from last year’s draft class that could take another big step forward.

He showed flashes of destruction during his rookie season and pushed through broken ribs to finish the year strong.

Following the Myles Garrett trade to the Los Angeles Rams, Graham will have an opportunity to anchor Cleveland’s new-look defensive line with Jared Verse and Alex Wright.

4. Isaiah Bond, WR

When training camp started last year, Bond wasn’t even on Cleveland’s roster.

The Browns signed him as an undrafted free agent on August 18 as the preseason had already gotten started. By the end of the regular season, Bond was one of Cleveland’s better receivers and was figuring out a connection with Sanders at quarterback. He only caught 18 passes for 338 yards, but showed enough promise to make the team want a closer look.

During spring practices, Bond looked noticeably bigger.

The receiver room is suddenly crowded with the arrival of rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston to pair with Jerry Jeudy. Both rookies are expected to make big impacts right away.

But don’t sleep on Bond as a contender to carve out a role this season.

5. Spencer Fano, LT

Top 10 offensive tackles are supposed to be as safe as investments as you can make in the NFL.

But for that to be true for the Browns, Fano needs to be closer to Hall of Famer Joe Thomas than Jedrick Wills, who was the last offensive tackle that Berry selected in the top 10.

The Browns have been looking to replace Thomas since he retired ahead of the 2018 campaign. His 11 years at left tackle were so dominant that he earned a first ballot Hall of Fame selection. Huge shoes to fill, but the Browns have had a hard time finding even a suitable replacement.

Fano was the first offensive lineman selected in the 2026 class and will need to be the anchor of Cleveland’s offensive line for years to come.

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