Three Cleveland Browns Depth Players Who Might Be Ready For Bigger Roles in 2026

With all the changes on the Browns roster during this offseason, it’s clear that some new faces are going to have to really step up this season in Cleveland.

Last year the breakout players were guys like Devin Bush and Alex Wright, who each came into the season with low expectations and became a crucial piece of the Browns’ defense.

Here are three players in line for a breakout season with the Browns this year.

Mike Hall Jr.

Hall got off to a late start last year and primarily served as a backup to Malliek Collins. He appeared in just nine games, but was efficient as a pass rusher from the interior.

He logged 11 tackles and 1.5 sacks while applying eight total pressures in incredible limited snaps. Now barring any legal trouble, Hall will finally get a full offseason to prove what he can do.

The second defensive tackle spot will likely be wide open with Collins recovering from the injury he sustained late last year. Hall will be a favorite to land it, battling Adin Huntington and Kalia Davis.

If Hall gets the spot, he has a real chance to develop into Cleveland’s second best pass rusher behind Myles Garrett. Hall has always been efficient when he gets the chance to play, he’s just had a hard time getting on the field.

Hall is running out of time to prove what he can do, and this may be his big season to finally become an elite pass rusher and quality-level run stopper.

Isaiah Bond

Bond showed flashes of what he’s capable of next season, but never really got it going. He caught 18 passes for 338 yards last year. Once Shedeur Sanders took over as the starter, Bond started breaking out as a deep threat.

Cleveland will be adding some wide receiver help in the upcoming draft, but Bond should still be able to find his way into the rotation as the primary deep threat. His speed is too much of an asset to the offense.

Cleveland needs to find ways to get the ball to him more consistently, rather than just one occasional deep bomb per game. Hopefully an offseason of Sanders and Bond will be enough for the duo to have a better connection, but if not, there’s still ways to get Bond involved.

Screens, sweeps, even just getting it to him on a short route and letting him run with the ball can boost the offense. This could be the year where Bond establishes himself as a top three receiver on the team and a crucial piece for the next seasons.

Dylan Sampson

The Browns coaching staff had a difficult time deciding when to use Sampson last season. Despite looking good whenever he got on the field, the Browns chose to rarely sub out Quinshon Judkins or use Jerome Ford in passing situations.

Despite this, Sampson still had 175 rushing yards and 271 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

Cleveland is in line to have a real two-headed monster at running back this season with Judkins as the power back and Sampson as the receiver. The Browns haven’t been this deep since Nick Chubb and Kareem Hunt, and they need to take advantage in the same way.

Expect Sampson to see his carries go way up next year, potentially even near even with Judkins. He’s too dynamic to be on the bench consistently. Cleveland has a chance to have two backs rotate and stay fresh, giving the offense some much-needed life in the run game.