Preseason games have lost a great deal of their importance over the past few years as teams around the NFL choose to exercise extreme caution to make sure that their highly paid players do not get injured. But for the Cleveland Browns this season, the quote-unquote meaningless contests could not be more vital.
Cleveland is attempting to rebuild its entire offensive line in the course of one offseason. It is a daunting task that has encountered some ups and downs along the way. Now, the new group is about to get its first chance at real action against a true opponent.
According to CBS Sports analyst Jordan Dajani, the key Browns unit is poised to benefit the most from the preseason games, beginning Saturday against the Chicago Bears.
“Did you know the Browns are the only team since 1970 to lose its top five offensive line starters all in the same offseason? This year, first-round pick Spencer Fano is expected to start at left tackle, Zion Johnson at left guard, Elgton Jenkins at center, Teven Jenkins at right guard and then the versatile Tytus Howard at right tackle. All of these players are brand new to each other, so some live reps in the preseason will serve them well as a collective unit,” Dajani wrote.
During the Browns’ minicamps and training camps, their new offensive line has been dominated at times by the team’s imposing defensive front. That was to be expected, given all of the changes that it endured.
Gone are center Ethan Pocic, guards Joel Bitonio and Wyatt Teller, and tackles Jack Conklin and Cam Robinson. Dawand Jones is the only returning Week 1 starter from last season, and, based on the alignment heading into Saturday, he will be a backup this season.
Teven Jenkins re-signed this offseason after starting four games last year, holding off KT Leveston, who started seven, at right guard. Fano was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, Johnson and Elgton Jenkins were signed as free agents, and Howard was acquired in a trade with the Houston Texans.
The Browns also selected tackle Austin Barber and center Parker Brailsford in this year’s draft. The goal for new head coach Todd Monken and offensive line coach George Warhop was to find the best five linemen and then sort out their positions after that, so there could be some more mixing and matching as the preseason goes along.
For now, it will be good to get a look at how these five potential starters operate, and how quickly they can build the necessary chemistry.
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