The Cleveland Browns have some potential young stars emerging on both sides of the ball in 2026, but depth is not exactly their strong suit at this point. This roster is still a work in progress even after what appears to be a second consecutive stellar draft class, but it’s likely going to take another year or two for the front office to be free of Deshaun Watson’s contract and get this roster to a point where it can compete year in and year out.
One area that is still a major work in progress is the offensive line. GM Andrew Berry had to bring in five new starters this offseason, but outside of those five new starters, there are still some big question marks, particularly at center due to a recent injury.
Free agent signee Elgton Jenkins is locked in as the new starting center, but he could be a stopgap solution if and when rookie fifth-round pick Parker Brailsford can develop into a starting-caliber center. He has shown early flashes of brilliance in camp, but The Athletic’s Zac Jackson recently wrote that his hand injury has brought about some legitimate uncertainty about the backup center spot behind Jenkins heading into Week 1 at the Jacksonville Jaguars.
“The backup center situation is uncertain, too, with rookie Parker Brailsford dealing with an injury to his snapping hand,” Jackson wrote.
Jenkins hasn’t been a pillar of health during his career, particularly last season when he missed eight games in his final campaign with the Green Bay Packers. Given all the injuries the Browns had up front last season, it’s a little disconcerting to go into this season without more structure in place in terms of the backups.
Brailsford has missed most of training camp with this thumb injury that has lingered for over a month now. You never want to see that happen for a rookie, especially a fifth-rounder that needs to prove himself and has an opportunity to push for a starting role.
At this point, he is trending toward a spot on the PUP list. It’s far from an ideal start to his rookie year, but we haven’t heard much to suggest that he is getting close to recovery.
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