KC Concepcion is arriving in the NFL with a reputation for dropped passes that he developed in college. Now, he is dropping a number from his first jersey with the Cleveland Browns.
The wide receiver was the No. 24 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Browns’ second first-round pick after they chose offensive tackle Spencer Fano at No. 9 overall. Concepcion has the potential to be the Browns’ No. 1 receiver as soon as this season.
At the very least, his new jersey number will reflect that status, as Concepcion has made a change and will wear the No. 1, at least for now.
“switchin’ digits [1],” the Browns posted.
switchin' digits 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/7xilyQ212R
— Cleveland Browns (@Browns) May 18, 2026
Concepcion at first said he was going to wear No. 17 with the Browns, which combined his high school jersey number (No. 1) with the number he wore in college at Texas A&M (No. 7). No reason was immediately given for the switch, but perhaps it has something to do with a link to long-ago Browns wide receiver Braylon Edwards, who wore No. 17 before he was traded out of town in part because of his reputation for dropping passes.
Perhaps Concepcion wasn’t aware of that connection when he made his initial choice. Or maybe he did not like the extra weight of double digits while participating in a recent rookie minicamp, where he showed glimpses of his potential despite also dropping some passes then.
Now, he will wear No. 1, which is unique in Browns history. If he keeps it until the season starts, Concepcion will be the fifth player in Cleveland franchise history to don the number.
It was assigned to cornerback Martin Emerson Jr. last season, but he sat out the entire season after injuring his Achilles during training camp and signed with the New Orleans Saints this offseason as a free agent. In addition to safety Juan Thornhill (2023 and 2024) and wide receiver Jaelon Darden (2022), it was most famously worn for Cleveland by wideout Michael Jackson in 1991 and 1992.
Hopefully, fans can now go out and buy a Concepcion jersey with confidence, and can wear it with pride for years to come.
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