While the Cleveland Browns suffered a blowout loss in their preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, the silver lining has been the emergence of several young players who are rapidly climbing the depth chart. As the team prepares for joint practices with the Buffalo Bills, head coach Todd Monken finds himself in the enviable position of having multiple rookies and underdogs pushing veterans off the starting lineup. These shifts suggest a changing of the guard in Berea, particularly on both sides of the ball where fresh legs are making an immediate impact.

On the defensive side, linebacker Easton Mascarenas Arnold has become a surprise standout. After spending much of his rookie year as a special teams contributor with limited stats, Mascarenas Arnold has found new life under defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg. He entered the preseason as a starter and has maintained that momentum throughout camp, positioning himself firmly as a key part of the rotation alongside Carson Schwesinger and Quincy Williams. Similarly, high draft pick Spencer Fano is already looking like a lock for the left tackle spot by Week 1. His rapid progression comes at a time when other options on the line have struggled, leaving Fano as the clear answer to protect Deshaun Watson moving forward.

The offensive skill positions are seeing similar upheavals, especially among the tight ends and wide receivers. Seventh round pick Carsen Ryan has seized a golden opportunity due to teammate Joe Royer missing significant time for personal reasons. By proving himself as both a reliable blocker and receiver, Ryan is carving out a path toward making the final roster behind Harold Fannin Jr. Meanwhile, rookies KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston have arguably been the most impressive additions to the squad overall. Concepcion provides elite speed and versatility as a weapon in motion and on punt returns, while Boston’s massive catch radius has already earned him a starting role just weeks into his professional career.