Cleveland Browns: Is This Rookie Playing Himself Into A Starter’s Role?

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry entered the 2026 offseason facing an odd situation.

The offensive line, long one of the team’s strengths, was aging, injured, and highly paid, leaving Berry to decide whether to stick with the status quo for another year or attempt to rebuild the entire starting unit in a single offseason. 

Berry chose the latter, which saw guard Joel Bitonio retire, center Ethan Pocic sign with the Baltimore Ravens in free agency, guard Wyatt Teller sign with the Houston Texans in free agency, and tackle Jack Conklin still looking for a team as a free agent. The other remaining starter, Dawand Jones, is still on the team but expected to serve a backup role this season as the coveted swing tackle.

In their place are left tackle Spencer Fano, the team’s first-round choice in the 2026 NFL Draft; left guard Zion Johnson and center Elgton Jenkins, signed as free agents; right guard Teven Jenkins, who the Browns chose to re-sign; and right tackle Tytus Howard, who the Browns acquired in a trade.

Berry did not stop there, however, as he also selected tackle Austin Barber and center Parker Brailsford in the 2026 draft. 

Brailsford has been slowed during training camp and the preseason due to a hand injury, but Barber has been catching everyone’s attention – most notably head coach Todd Monken – and could be in line to claim a starting spot at right guard.

Monken was asked about the rookie on Saturday and was very complimentary (quote via a team-provided transcript):

“What a great job he’s done playing, starting at tackle, then going to guard. I think he’s only going to continue to get better, so I’ve been very pleased with him. He takes coaching. There was a screen that we ran during the game that, the week before, when it got caught, he was a little bit casual down the field on, not accelerating his feet, and you saw it in the game the other night. He accelerated and ran through the defender to get out of the way of the defender and did a great job. He certainly takes coaching from the meeting room, from his past experiences to the field.”

The fact that Monken mentioned twice that Barber “takes coaching” is something that should not be overlooked, as that appears to be a key trait that the head coach looks for as he builds the first roster of his NFL head coaching career. 

And could Barber actually find himself in the huddle when the offense takes the field for the first time in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars? 

Monken did not rule it out:

“I love our depth there. Again, I think Teven has the advantage, obviously, as the veteran player, but we still have this week, we still have today and a few practices to really finalize. I’d give Teven the lean, but I don’t think it’s done yet.”

Berry admitted during the broadcast of one of the preseason games that rebuilding the entire offensive line is not an ideal situation to be in, but the early signs are positive so far about the work he did in not only landing five new starters, but building some solid depth along the line.

And if Barber continues to ascend and land in the starting lineup, that offseason work will only look that much better.