Browns roster has several players listed on the midseason All-Rookie Team

The Cleveland Browns are in the middle of a roller coaster season. Currently, the franchise is in a two-game losing skid. So far, they have only beaten one good team, lost to two bad clubs, and only have two games against a good team left on their schedule. Those would be both games against division foe Cincinnati Bengals. RELATED: ROSTER RESET AFTER TRADE DEADLINE The team has had its good points and bad. Of the five wins, all of them have been the comeback variety. At no time has this franchise ever put anybody away and coasted to a victory. In the first battle against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Browns had a 21-7 lead with 1:22 left in the second quarter, and were leading 21-10 with 14:19 left in the game, but then failed to keep the Steelers from scoring two late touchdowns to come within two points of tying the game. The roster was viewed as talented on paper going into the season. There was a new head coach and OC. The offense had brought in new talent; the offensive line was five new guys; the quarterback wasn’t new, with Deshaun Watson, just new to this offense, and the defense was suggested to be a Jim Schwartz clone. But the roster was also very young. Before the season began and any players who were cut or placed on some sort of injury list, Cleveland was the second-youngest team in the league at 25.57 years. The 2026 draft class highlighted this aspect. Of the 10 players drafted, four have become starters: OT Spencer Fano, WRs Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion, and RG Austin Barber. TE Joe Royer was placed on the non-football injury list; C Parker Brailsford is a backup offensive lineman; S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren plays quite a bit, with 126 special teams snaps on punt and kickoff coverage plus another 246 defensive snaps, or 41% of defensive reps; QB Taylen Green has mainly been listed as inactive/emergency quarterback for most games; LB Justin Jefferson is a backup who has played 35 snaps (60%) on special teams; and TE Carsen Ryan has been a roster member for eight games, waived two times, and placed on the practice squad twice. Now that half of the schedule has come and gone, The Athletic is offering its annual “NFL Midseason All-Rookie Team,” put together by staff writer Dane Brugler. One thing that is interesting about Brugler’s list is that draft round or position has nothing to do with his rankings. He hasn’t forced any player to be pushed to the top just because they were a first-or second-round draft pick, nor does he care about conference affiliation or whether they played at big schools or came out of lesser-known programs. So, it becomes a fair assessment. The Browns are well-recognized on Brugler’s list. Wide receiver: First Team – Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion It is no secret that Cleveland’s young duo are having a good year through the first nine games. Both players have come up with clutch receptions and have found ways to get open. Both QB Deshaun Watson and QB Shedeur Sanders have become familiar with this pair’s route running and have gone to each repeatedly. Brugler stated: “No surprises here. They’re led by Boston, the seventh receiver drafted in April. He leads all rookies in receiving yards (507), first-down receptions (21) and receiving touchdowns (three). Against the Saints on Sunday, Boston recorded his third catch of 50-plus yards, which ties him with Green Bay’s Christian Watson for the NFL lead. Not far behind is Concepcion, who scored his first NFL touchdown on Sunday in New Orleans. He ranks No. 1 among rookies in receptions (37) and second in receiving yards (437). Concepcion also leads all rookie receivers in catches of 20-plus yards (eight) and yards after the catch (237), which ranks Top-20 in the NFL, one spot behind Amon-Ra St. Brown.” These two have been a complete triumph for Browns GM Andrew Berry when he had other receivers to consider. But how often are two rookie receivers on the same roster honored as being the best first-year players? Offensive Tackle: Second Team – Spencer Fano The Browns feel that Fano offers them everything they are looking for as a left tackle. He has had his ups and downs, and is a slightly better run blocker than in pass protection. Fano has collected six penalties, along with two others that weren’t accepted, but he has allowed just three sacks. Brugler’s assessment: “Fano’s tape has been full of high highs and low lows. He has struggled against better talent (see Chase Young this past Sunday), but he played above average against the Jets, Titans, and Ravens before that. Fano has performed well enough to believe he can be a long-term solution for the Browns.” Interior offensive line: First Team – OG Austin Barber Barber played left tackle throughout high school and mostly at Florida, with just two starts at right tackle. In training camp, he was moved to offensive guard, and when Teven Jenkins injured his back, he remained at right guard. Brugler has noticed the young buck who was taken by Cleveland in the third round, who has played well in games, and then has struggled as most rookies experience: “Barber is coming off arguably his worst game as a pro, but there has been far more good than bad on his rookie tape. He has been an iron man while battling through injuries and is tied with his teammate, Fano, for the rookie lead in snaps played (588).” Safety: Honorable Mention – Emmanuel McNeil-Warren McNeil-Warren was Cleveland’s surprise in the draft in that he had a late first-round grade, yet was taken by the Browns with the #58 pick in Round 2. And he came in as a position of need. He has played in all nine games, with three starts and 42 total tackles on the regular defense and also on the punt and kickoff coverage teams. The Browns will play some three-safety sets, which is perfect for the young defender. Are you surprised by how many Browns rookies are recognized among the best from the 2026 NFL draft? 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