The Cleveland Browns are in a much better situation than they were a few years ago. They have already matched last season’s win total after winning just three games in 2024 and they have a big one on Sunday with the Houston Texans coming to town in what is shaping up to be a fork in the road for how the rest of the season is going to go.
If the Browns win, they can get back on track at 6-4 and remain firmly in the AFC playoff race with a few favorable matchups coming up over the next month. Losing and falling back to .500 would potentially put them in too deep of a hole to dig out of given how stacked the top of the AFC is.
The Browns wouldn’t be anywhere near this level of success without the work of GM Andrew Berry, who brought in another incredible rookie class in 2026. PFF agrees as they recently released their updated rookie grades, and second on the list is safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with an 84.2 grade. Spencer Fano also appears at No. 10 on the list with a 74.5 grade.
Arvell Reese is RISING pic.twitter.com/w4LPrVResj
— PFF (@PFF) November 12, 2026
McNeil-Warren fell to the late second-round, much to the surprise of a lot of draft experts who projected him to go as high as the middle of the first round. Secondary depth was a big issue for the Browns heading into this season, but McNeil-Warren has fit in like a glove alongside the outstanding veterans he has around him. Grant Delpit, Denzel Ward, Ronnie Hickman, and Tyson Campbell have served as an ideal welcoming party for the young safety and ensured his transition to the NFL is as seamless as possible.
The impacts of Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion, Spencer Fano, and Austin Barber on offense have been well-documented. That side of the ball needed a lot of help heading into the draft and there are now four rookies in place who look like long-term solutions.
It’s all a testament to the incredible work Berry and his staff have done. McNeil-Warren is looking more comfortable by the week and is turning into a huge weapon in Mike Rutenberg’s defense. He’ll have his hands full on Sunday with the red-hot C.J. Stroud, but there’s no question he’ll be up for the challenge.
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