The Cleveland Browns’ season opener will be remembered mostly for a lopsided loss, but CBS Sports found something buried underneath all that noise worth celebrating. Mike Renner ranked the top rookie classes around the league after Week 1, and Cleveland landed at No. 2 overall, trailing only Kansas City.
Renner explained why the Browns’ rookie class impressed him despite the ugly final score.
“Lost in the ugliness of the Browns quarterback position was the fact that the Browns look like they’ve clocked yet another impressive draft haul. Concepcion, in particular, already looks like the Browns’ best playmaker. His ability to separate was on full display. The most surprising standout was third-rounder Barber. While there were more concerns on tape than that grade may suggest, Barber looked like he’ll be a long-term starter at the position for Cleveland,” Renner wrote.
Four rookies started on offense alone in Week 1: Spencer Fano, Austin Barber, KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, with Emmanuel McNeil-Warren also playing 14 defensive snaps. That kind of immediate role across a full draft class is rare. Concepcion drew the strongest praise of the group, with Renner pointing to his ability to separate from coverage as evidence he may already be the most dangerous playmaker on the roster.
Barber’s story is impressive, given where he started. A career tackle at Florida, he moved inside to guard after arriving in Cleveland and still turned in the highest-graded performance of any rookie offensive lineman in the league that week, according to PFF. Todd Monken confirmed Barber will remain the starter at right guard even once Teven Jenkins returns to full health.
That decision says as much about Barber’s early impact as any outside ranking could. Concepcion’s ball security remains a real concern after his fumble against the Jaguars.
None of this changes the bigger storylines dominating Cleveland’s week, but it offers a different lens on a roster many have written off entirely after one bad Sunday. If this class continues developing, the Browns may be building a stronger long-term foundation than the record through one week suggests.
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