Cleveland Browns AFC North

Reports from Cleveland beat writers are slightly conflicting, but there seems to be agreement that Watson went first through the rotation in early practice periods before Sanders took the first snap in full-team drills. Watson then handled the special period at the end of practice. It sounds like Dillon Gabriel and Taylen Green didn't get much first-team work, if any, but the rotation could look different as soon as the next practice. Head coach Todd Monken has mentioned his preference for naming a starting QB before the start of training camp, though he eased off his prior statements Wednesday, telling reporters, "We'll have it set for [Week 1 at Jacksonville]," per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com.

Watson took the first snap in individual drills and 7-on-7s, but Shedeur Sanders then went first in 11-on-11s, per Zac Jackson of The Athletic. The two split first-team snaps for the rest of the session, with Watson then taking over at the end for a hurry-up simulation. For individual drills, Sanders was second through the rotation, with Dillon Gabriel going third and Taylen Green predictably last. It's more or less what was expected, given that Watson has 72 NFL starts to his name and is competing with a trio of mid-round picks from the past two drafts. What's less clear is if the initial position means anything beyond deference to age/experience. Browns head coach Todd Monken seems to take Sanders seriously as a candidate for the starting job, and it wouldn't be surprising to see Gabriel (or even Green) take some first-team reps as well.

Booth appeared in 12 games for Mississippi State in 2025, accumulating 553 yards and seven touchdowns on 136 carries. The running back also added 165 receiving yards on 15 receptions, finding the end zone twice through the air. The Browns' running back room is led by young talents Quinshon Judkins (ankle) and Dylan Sampson, likely making any chance for meaningful carries unlikely for Booth for the foreseeable future.

Wilson ended his collegiate career at Baylor, where he totaled 44 receptions for 591 yards and five touchdowns over 12 games. The wide receiver also fielded 30 kickoff returns for 705 yards during the 2025 season. The Browns selected both KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston in the 2026 NFL Draft, meaning any path to playing time for Wilson is likely to come through the special-teams unit as a returner.

The 34-year-old fullback spent the last two seasons with the Broncos. Burton appeared in all 34 of Denver's regular-season games during that span, rushing for 17 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries while catching all 13 of his targets for 73 yards and another touchdown. Additionally, he was a major special-teams contributor, tallying 10 total tackles and one forced fumble across 577 snaps, and a formidable lead blocker and pass protector in the backfield. Expect Burton to assume a similar role for Cleveland during the 2026 season.

Barber was a full-time starter at left tackle in each of his last three college seasons with Florida and was named to the All-SEC Third-Team in 2025. He stands at 6-foot-7 and 318 pounds and has the size and tools to succeed at the NFL level, though he struggled at times with outside speed and power. The Browns took Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick of this year's draft, and he figures to serve as the team's starter at left tackle while Barber provides depth at offensive tackle behind Fano and Tytus Howard.

McNeil-Warren (6-foot-4, 201 pounds) was commonly projected to come off the board notably earlier than the late second round, and Cleveland ultimately decided it worth trading up with the 49ers in order to end his slide. A three-year starter at Toledo with the combination of size and athleticism to succeed at the NFL level, McNeil-Warren's landing spot with the Browns will make him the top safety off the bench behind starters Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman.

Boston (6-foot-4, 212 pounds) has the build to impose physicality and reach from the boundary, where he did big damage especially as a downfield and red-zone jump-ball target at Washington. That Boston declined to run a 40-yard dash before the draft invites the suspicion that he might lack the long speed to regularly push downfield at the NFL level, but if he can keep winning on jump balls in the intermediate and end zone then that might be enough for Boston to prove a quality WR2 in the NFL. It might not be easy for Boston to immediately displace Cedric Tillman as the primary big wideout in Cleveland, but in the long term it's expected that Boston and 24th overall pick KC Concepcion should top the Browns' depth chart at wideout.

The Browns traded back from the sixth spot before selecting Fano, who was clearly their intended target the whole time. Fano (6-foot-6, 311 pounds) started at right tackle for Utah and won the Outland Trophy in 2025, but coach Todd Monken was quick to note Thursday that Cleveland plans to use him at left tackle, per Daniel Oyefusi of ESPN.com. The concern with Fano was that he lacked the reach (32 and 1/8-inch arms) of a traditional offensive tackle, but evidently it wasn't enough to make the Browns flinch. Fano has excellent athleticism across the board (4.91-second 40, 32-inch vertical), and that's no doubt part of what led Cleveland to take the leap of faith on Fano in the top 10.

Fannin sat out the Browns' 2025 season finale against the Bengals due to a groin injury, but he's moved past the issue. The second-year tight end sits firmly atop a depth chart which no longer includes David Njoku, who remains a free agent, and as a rookie last year Fannin recorded a team-high 72 catches on 107 targets for 731 yards and six TDs in 16 regular-season contests. With Njoku no longer in the mix, Fannin should have an opportunity to improve on those numbers given the unproven options behind him at the position for Cleveland.

Reid didn't play at all last season after suffering a back injury in late August. However, the Weber State product worked his way up to a pretty big role as a rookie in 2024, with most of his work coming on special teams. If Reid is back to full health and able to make the roster ahead of the upcoming campaign, he'll likely reprise his role as a depth option and special-teamer.

Corley joined Cleveland late last August after being waived by the Jets. The Western Kentucky product ended up playing 13 games with the Browns, recording 11 receptions (on 14 targets) for 79 yards. Corley also featured as the team's lead kick returner, taking 21 returns for 492 yards. He'll likely fill a similar role during the upcoming season.