Three Players Who Could Have a Major Impact for the Cleveland Browns in 2026
Exactly one month away from training camp, the Cleveland Browns have a lot of questions unanswered when it comes to their roster. It’s easy to look at the roster as it is on paper, before the official depth chart is created, and say that it is a more talented squad than years past in certain position groups. However, coach Todd Monken still has to develop a quarterback heading into the NFL Preseason, a challenge newly minted Browns coaches have been facing since 1999. Quarterback isn’t the only position battle that will take place this summer, as the offensive line will look completely different from it did last season, and the new guys brought in, such as Tytus Howard and Zion Johnson, will have to find out what spot on the line will be the best fit for the team. On the defensive side of the ball, the unit projects to finish among the league’s top 15 defences again in 2026, but will be significantly less fierce following the blockbuster trade of Myles Garrett. That being said, a few names stick out as guys who could hit the ground running and provide a huge impact this season. With just a few days before July, here are three players that I’m projecting to be stars for Cleveland come September.
Jared Verse
Acquired in the Garrett trade, Jared Verse will be expected to come in and haul in the majority of sacks, as well as become the spiritual leader of the defensive line. Named to the Pro Bowl twice in his first two seasons, the 25-year-old has racked up 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and 71 solo tackles in his young career. Although no one across the league, both past and present, may ever compare to Garrett, the former Florida State Seminole will still be a wrecking ball for years to come. The 2024 NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year was so dominant these past two seasons for the Los Angeles Rams that general manager Andrew Berry reportedly refused to trade Garrett to the Rams if Verse wasn’t a part of said deal. With a defensive line unit that’s mostly absent of talent outside of the Ohio-native, expect him to pull in a career high in sacks and potentially elevate the pieces around him.
Elgton Jenkins
Speaking of leadership, Elgton Jenkins is set to be the veteran anchor of Cleveland’s offensive line both on the field and off. Coming into town with seven years of experience to one of the league’s worst units in 2025, the Mississippi State product can play pretty much anywhere on the line. Jenkins has been to two Pro Bowls in his career, with his best seasons coming in 2020 and 2022, when he started all 31 possible games. What has really been a problem for the 30-year-old has been injuries, which have kept him out of parts of the 2021 and 2025 seasons. Should he stay healthy this season, Jenkins will be a force at center and provide stability to a particularly unstable line from a season ago.
Justin Jefferson
Bearing a very familiar name to football fans, this Justin Jefferson wasn’t selected with the same hype and early draft pick as the Minnesota Vikings receiver. What the Browns linebacker and the All-Pro pass catcher do have in common is the Southeastern Conference pedigree, as the former hails from the University of Alabama. In three seasons with the Crimson Tide, Jefferson racked up nearly 150 combined tackles, five sacks, and forced four turnovers. The Memphis native was also something of an iron man for both Nick Saban and Kalen DeBoer, as he played in 41 games in three seasons. Cleveland has already found success in drafting linebackers past the first round of the draft, picking up future Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. If Jefferson is even half as good as Schwesinger, then the Browns' linebacker unit may be one of the best in the AFC North this season.
