The Cleveland Browns invested heavily in rebuilding their receiving corps over the past offseason, but that effort has not translated into much respect. Pro Football Focus released its rankings of every receiving corps entering the 2026 season, and Cleveland landed at number 30 out of 32 teams, placing the Browns ahead of only the Miami Dolphins and a Las Vegas Raiders group that lacks proven talent beyond Brock Bowers. For a team that used first and second-round draft capital on wide receivers this year while also boasting one of the most productive tight ends in football, that is a surprising ranking.
PFF pointed to both the promise and the concerns within the group when explaining where Cleveland landed.
“First rounder KC Concepcion and second rounder Denzel Boston should provide a boost here. Veteran Jerry Jeudy is still in the fold, although he tied for the most drops in football last year. Meanwhile, Harold Fannin Jr. looks poised for an even larger target share in his second season after forcing 22 missed tackles last year, second among tight ends behind Trey McBride,” PFF wrote.
What stands out most about this ranking is how little credit was given to the upside of a young core that has generated buzz all summer. Concepcion, taken with Cleveland’s first-round selection in the 2026 draft, and Boston, a second-round pick, have both flashed the kind of playmaking ability that suggested the Browns finally addressed a need that lingered for years. Add in a running back room that includes Dylan Sampson, who finished third among running backs in yards per route run as a rookie, and the offensive weapons around whoever wins the Deshaun Watson versus Shedeur Sanders quarterback competition look considerably better than a number 30 ranking would suggest.
Whether this ranking ages well remains to be seen. Fannin, Concepcion and Boston all have the opportunity to answer that question once real games begin, and a strong start from that trio would make this preseason ranking look outdated quickly.
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