The Cleveland Browns aren’t going to rank highly on many preseason NFL rankings, other than maybe defensive ones. That’s an annual ritual that Browns fans have come to expect every summer.
But it’s becoming harder for rival fans to push back on where this franchise is heading. Cleveland’s future isn’t only bright — it might have already arrived
ESPN spent the past week rolling out its annual poll of NFL scouts, executives, and coaches, ranking the top 10 players at each position along with some honorable mentions. This poll, spearheaded by insider Jeremy Fowler, also reveals every player who received a vote. In mid-July, it makes for some fun fodder among fans on who’s getting love andwho’s getting snubbed
The Browns were more well-represented in Fowler’s findings than rival fans might care to admit
While Cleveland only had two “top-10” players in linebacker Carson Schwesinger and cornerback Denzel Ward, it had a number of players recognized as ascending stars. They include two who have a strong case for being top-10 at their position right now in tight end Harold Fannin and new pass rusher Jared Verse, and another who could get there soon in running back Quinshon Judkins. Some of their veteran players, like center Elgton Jenkins, safety Grant Delpit, and cornerback Tyson Campbell, all received some love in ESPN’s poll.
As Fowler tweeted after all the results were released this week:
“This exercise was a reminder the Browns have a strong young core – LB3, RB13, TE15 all from the 25 draft class (those last two will be higher next year). Verse 25 years old, Delpit 27.”
The Browns had two players (Ward, Schwesinger) voted in the top-10 of their positions. Five players (Judkins, Fannin, Verse, Elgton Jenkins, Delpit) were listed in honorable mention. Tyson Campbell also received votes. https://t.co/8hSbgkEkQA
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) July 16, 2026
These rankings aren’t coming from fans or media members. They’re coming from actual NFL talent evaluators.
And here’s the quiet part for those continuing to ignore the Browns as basement dwellers with no visible path to relevance — there are a number of exciting young players on their roster that weren’t even mentioned in ESPN’s latest exercise
ESPN’s 2026 player rankings validate a Cleveland Browns team on the rise
For the 2026 Browns, success is relative
They’re most likely still one draft away from finding their quarterback of the future, and they just traded the best singular defensive player of an entire generation in Myles Garrett. More than half of Cleveland’s 90-man training camp roster is made up of players aged 25 and under. The Browns won’t enter 2026 with realistic chances of contending in the AFC North or for much of anything this season
What Browns fans should be looking for is a run similar to what the New Orleans Saints just did in 2025. The Saints broke in a new head coach in Kellen Moore and entered training camp with an uncertain quarterback situation. They ended up starting the season 1-8
But they improved as the year went on and finished 5-3 over the second half of the season. Entering 2026, the Saints are suddenly a trendy pickto win the NFC South
The Browns could end up having a comparable 2026 season, as their toughest games and road trips are in the first half of the year. The NFL did them no favors with games at Jacksonville and Tampa Bay to open the season. They’ll play four of five games on the road between Weeks 6 and 9, followed by a tough Week 10 home matchup against the Texans
But the schedule lightens up from there, and the Browns will end up playing four consecutive games at home following that Texans matchup and their Week 11 bye. If they can gain some momentum over a more favorable second half, the perception around this team could change drastically entering the 2027 offseason
Players not mentioned in ESPN’s poll include, of course, the Browns’ 2026 rookie class which has been ranked among the best in football this year. But they have plenty of known commodities who made strides during last year’s throwaway season
Pass rusher Alex Wright could be poised for a breakout sans Garrett, and everybody seems to forget aboutNo. 5 overall pick Mason Graham, who started all 17 games as a rookie in the middle of the Browns’ defensive line last year. Casual NFL fans have never even heard of Browns safety Ronnie Hickman, but the former undrafted rookie deserved a vote in ESPN’s poll. The 24-year-old is definitely in the upper half of the league’s free safeties entering 2026. Veteran defensive lineman Maliek Collins is coming off a career year and should be healthy for Week 1.
The Browns have talent. Based on Verse’s observations from spring OTAs, they’re getting buy-in from their young core and are already practicing like a winning outfit.
How many wins will it translate to in 2026? Probably not double-digits with so many new parts that will need to fuse together in short order. But similar to the Saints last year, they should start showing signs on the field that their upside on paper is no fluke, and this could end up being one of the last offseasons where the Browns are widely dismissed as a rudderless NFL franchise on a path to nowhere. They’re on the rise
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