The Cleveland Browns open the 2026 NFL regular season against the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 13 at 1 p.m. ET. Before then, Cleveland will play one final preseason game Thursday against the New England Patriots and reduce its roster to 53 players by 6 p.m. ET Sunday.
The Browns’ quarterback competition has been the focus of training camp, but Cleveland faces difficult roster decisions at several other positions. Tight end, cornerback and defensive line remain areas of concern, while the team must determine whether it can keep all four quarterbacks on its active roster.
Cleveland Browns 53-man roster projection
Quarterbacks (4)
Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, Taylen Green
Keeping four quarterbacks on an active NFL roster is unusual. However, Cleveland is effectively treating Taylen Green’s rookie season as a redshirt year. Given Watson’s struggles, injury history and reception from the home crowd during the second preseason game — when he was met by loud boos — the Browns could keep Gabriel on the 53-man roster as an additional backup option.
Running backs (4)
Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, Raheim Sanders, Michael Burton (fullback)
The Browns are competing for a third running back behind Judkins and Sampson. Raheim Sanders and Ahmani Marshall are the leading contenders, but Sanders has the edge after running effectively and showing that he can contribute in pass protection. Burton has missed a large portion of training camp with an injury, but he was Cleveland’s top fullback before being sidelined.
Tight ends (3)
Harold Fannin Jr., Blake Whiteheart, Carsen Ryan
Joe Royer’s roster status is uncertain after the fifth-round pick missed all of training camp for personal reasons. Cleveland could place him on the reserve/non-football injury list to preserve a roster spot at another position.
The position has also been affected by injuries, and the Browns still lack a clear running mate for Fannin, who led Cleveland in receiving as a rookie in 2025.
Wide receivers (5)
Jerry Jeudy, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston, Isaiah Bond, Tylan Wallace
Jeudy, Concepcion, Boston and Bond have established themselves as Cleveland’s top wide receivers. Wallace has earned the team’s trust as a pass catcher and can contribute on special teams, while Corley is a leading kick returner.
Malachi Corley, Gage Larvadain or Luke Floriea could claim a sixth receiver spot because of their special-teams value. Floriea is a second-year player who grew up in a Cleveland suburb.
Offensive linemen (10)
Spencer Fano, Zion Johnson, Elgton Jenkins, Teven Jenkins, Tytus Howard, Dawand Jones, Parker Brailsford, Austin Barber, KT Leveston, Luke Wypler
Brailsford, a fifth-round pick, appeared set to serve as the Browns’ backup center. However, he has not practiced in weeks or played during the preseason because of an injury. That could create an opportunity for Wypler, a 2023 sixth-round pick who previously appeared to be on the wrong side of the roster bubble.
Defensive linemen (8)
Jared Verse, Maliek Collins, Mason Graham, Isaiah McGuire, Derek Barnett, Mike Hall Jr., Adin Huntington, Kalia Davis
Cleveland suffered a significant setback when defensive end Alex Wright sustained a season-ending Achilles injury. Even before Wright was lost, the Browns had explored the edge-rusher market and pursued reunions with Jadeveon Clowney and Za’Darius Smith before both players signed elsewhere.
Barnett provides reliable depth, but Cleveland’s front office may need to make another signing or trade before Week 1.
Linebackers (6)
Carson Schwesinger, Quincy Williams, Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Winston Reid, Nathaniel Watson, Justin Jefferson
Schwesinger has missed several weeks of practice with an undisclosed injury, but the Browns are hopeful that the NFL’s reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year will return soon.
Mascarenas-Arnold made the team last season as an undrafted rookie. He has lined up alongside Schwesinger and Williams in Cleveland’s base defense and appears to have a firm grasp on a starting role.
Cornerbacks (6)
Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell, Myles Harden, D’Angelo Ross, Tre Avery, Michael Coats Jr.
Cornerback is another position where Cleveland has depth concerns. The Browns could look to add a veteran to provide stability behind Ward and Campbell. Monken recently highlighted Coats, an undrafted rookie, as a player who has stood out while injuries have affected the position.
Safeties (4)
Grant Delpit, Ronnie Hickman, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Christopher Edmonds
Edmonds, Donovan McMillon and Daniel Thomas are competing for a roster spot as backup safeties. Edmonds has been higher on the depth chart and has also played multiple roles on special teams.
Special teams (3)
Andre Szmyt (kicker), Corey Bojorquez (punter), Rex Sunahara (long snapper)
The Browns have had two young punters, Nik Constantinou and Wes Pahl, compete with Bojorquez. However, special teams coordinator Byron Storer has said that Bojorquez’s job is his to lose.
Bojorquez is projected to win the competition, allowing Cleveland to return its kicking unit for a second consecutive season.
