How Many Browns Rookies Will Actually Make an Impact in 2026--and Where

These are the Cleveland newcomers who will have the largest effect on the 2026 season.

Apr 24, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns first round draft picks Spencer Fano, left, and KC Concepcion hold their new jerseys during an introductory press conference at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Browns made ten selections in the 2026 NFL Draft, two of them in the first round, two in the second, one in the third, three in the fifth, and one in the sixth & seventh rounds. 

The goal was clear from the jump, Cleveland needed impact players on offense, and it did not stop from taking players who play the same position.

Eight of those ten players picked were on the offensive side of the ball, but how many will make an impact immediately?

The Browns' Rookies That Will Contribute Next Season

Both first-round picks, Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion, should expect to be starters on offense. Fano is likely to slide into the left tackle position, a position that he did not play at Utah the past two years, but did play his freshman season. 

Concepcion will be a Swiss Army Knife for this Browns offense; his production in his three college seasons will translate seamlessly to the NFL. With NC State and Texas A&M, he put up over 2,200 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns, including carrying the ball out of the backfield 70 times for 431 yards for over six yards a carry.

 Where Concepcion also stands out is in special teams. This past season for the Aggies, he returned 26 punts for 456 yards and two touchdowns, averaging a staggering 17.5 yards per return. For the Browns last season, their top punt return man was Gage Larvadain, who returned 24 punts for 167 yards. Concepcion will be able to earn that return spot right away and thrive in it.

The second wide receiver Cleveland took, Denzel Boston, should also expect to be a starter or a key contributor on day one. Where Boston will excel specifically is in the red zone, as Cleveland ranked 28th in the league last year with 20 red zone touchdowns on 125 red zone plays. 14 of Boston’s 20 receiving touchdowns in college came in the red zone, where he showed his exceptional frame and high-pointing ability. 

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren will also be another versatile playmaker for the Browns, this time on the defensive side of the ball. As a box safety for the Rockets, McNeil-Warren utilized the “Peanut Punch” and physical nature to force nine fumbles in his collegiate career. He will also be a heat-seeking missile in the run game.

The next two picks, both on the offensive line, most likely will not be starters, but can slide in and pick up snaps. Austin Barber at tackle and Parker Brailsford on the interior will be able to help a group that has needed it in the past couple of years. 

The tight end depth chart is still up in the air, and the fifth-round pick, Joe Royer from Cincinnati, should be able to find himself in receiving situations. In his two years with the Bearcats, he surpassed 900 yards through the air, along with seven touchdowns.