The Cleveland Browns (4-2) sit atop a wide-open AFC North through six weeks, a start that has drawn league attention as the club’s young core assumes the aggressive, passionate identity of coach Todd Monken. Monken’s sideline exhortations and a roster stocked with recent draft talent have helped reshape the narrative around Cleveland football, according to ESPN.
That buzz is tangible across the league. One AFC assistant general manager told ESPN that while quarterbacks receive the most focus, environment matters and the Browns “look[s] like two straight strong drafts.” Rival executives have praised the personnel work that produced those classes, with one AFC personnel director singling out safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
Across the 2025 and 2026 drafts, eight of Cleveland’s 10 picks in the first three rounds were starters on the 2026 roster, with McNeil-Warren carving out a key third-safety role and stepping in for starter reps after Grant Delpit’s concussion, according to ESPN. Those rookies and young players have combined for 2,802 snaps this season, a total trailing only the Miami Dolphins’ 3,348, per ESPN.
The front office led by general manager Andrew Berry, alongside assistant GMs Glenn Cook and Catherine Hickman, has been credited for turning high selections into contributors. A longtime NFL executive who knows Berry told ESPN that Berry is “structured” and “detailed,” and that the organization has stood behind his plan. Berry told ESPN in August that trading Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams was “too good to pass up” and that the deal helped replenish the team’s draft capital after earlier moves tied to the Deshaun Watson trade.
On offense, several recent picks are already playing major roles: Denzel Boston (No. 39) led all NFL rookies with 345 receiving yards, while KC Concepcion (No. 24), left tackle Spencer Fano (No. 9) and right guard Austin Barber (No. 86) are key starters. Other emerging offensive contributors from the past two classes include running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampso and tight end Harold Fannin Jr., elements ESPN says are beginning to form a foundational group for Cleveland.
