Browns Rookie Did Enough To Impress Coaching Staff, Locked Down Long-Term Spot

The Cleveland Browns announced Austin Barber is officially the starting right guard after a promising performance in Week 1.

Jun 11, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Austin Barber (58) during minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Austin Barber made a great impression in his first regular season game in the NFL.

Although the Cleveland Browns dropped Week 1's outing to the Jacksonville Jaguars, he did enough to earn the highest-graded performance of rookie offensive linemen across the league. Nearly 10 points ahead of the next best, he posted a mark of 82.6, according to Pro Football Focus.

He stepped up to fill the void left by Teven Jenkins, who was ruled out due to injury days before the season opened.

"You got to be prepared to go play," he said after being named the starter mid-week. "I was prepared for anything to happen. I just have to go out there and perform."

On Tuesday, Sept. 15, Browns head coach Todd Monken shared that he was impressed with the way that Barber played, especially on short notice. Just a day later, when asked about Barber's future up front, he confirmed that the third-rounder out of the University of Florida did enough to earn the starting spot at right guard.

"I see it that way, yes," he said on Wednesday.

A major positive of the situation Barber was thrust into and now he gets to go into each week under the belief that he is the starting right guard. Certainly, that has to lessen the weight on his shoulders that he was likely feeling as he attempted to establish himself in the organization.

"I'm jacked," Monken was quoted as saying when reflecting on both Barber and rookie Spencer Fano. "Those two guys are going to be really good players. Austin, for jumping in there and learning early in the week [that] he was going to be starting. And Spencer is going to continue to grow..I really think we got some young, really good players."

With the Browns building a dynamic duo in Barber and Fano, the future up front looks especially bright for the team.

May 8, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns tackle Austin Barber (58) and offensive lineman Spencer Fano (55) during rookie minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Moving forward, they will both still have to prove themselves each week, but practicing with the first-teamers and knowing they are No. 1 on the depth chart will bring new fuel to the fire. Fano is just 21 years old, and Barber is 23, making both potential staples for the next decade.

The Browns, with their two star rookies up front, will return to the gridiron on Sunday, Sept. 20, when the orange and brown match up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road.

The two sides will go toe-to-toe at 1:00 p.m. EST from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.