BEREA — Rookies will be front and center Sunday in Jacksonville.
Depending on the personnel package, the Browns could open the season with four rookies in the starting lineup on offense: receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston, left tackle Spencer Fano and right guard Austin Barber. On defense, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren will be the third safety.
“We’re excited to go play,” first-year coach Todd Monken said Friday. “It’s the best players play, doesn’t matter the age, and they’re our best guys and it gives us the best chance to win.”
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The rookies are surrounded by veterans.
“It’s important for our younger players to lean on the guys that have had the career they’ve had up to this point, how did you get from point A to point B, how did you get to where you’re at?” Monken said. “But once it kicks off, they’re going to have to rely on their training and where their inner confidence is at that moment. They’re going to have their ups and downs. That’s part of being a young player in this league.
“But I like their fight, I like the way they battle, and they’re really, really smart the way they handle practice. You can see, from day to day, the corrections they make individually. Coaching is a part of that, but players making adjustments and talking, not only to some of the veteran players offensively but the guys on defense. You can really see that.”
The rookie class has a tough act to follow. Last year’s group included defensive tackle Mason Graham, linebacker Carson Schwesinger, running back Quinshon Judkins, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
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The opener provides the first glimpse of what this batch of rookies will be able to do.
“It’s going to be super exciting and I think the biggest thing is making sure we’re not focusing on the future, we’re just focusing on now and how can we make an impact now,” Boston said.
In addition to his duties at wideout, Concepcion will be the punt returner. Monken plans to use him in that role all game regardless of how much he plays on offense.
“We’re not monitoring it. He’s going to do it,” Monken said. “We’re going to put our most explosive players out there, who give us a chance to score, and he’s one of those guys.
“We’re going to play our best players in every scenario we have during the game to give ourselves the best chance to score and stop people.”
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ON THE INSIDE
Mike Hall Jr. worked at defensive end during training camp but will likely spend the majority of the time at his natural tackle spot.
“Mike is a three-technique through and through and he loves playing inside,” defensive line coach Jacques Cesaire. “He loves being a penetrator and rushing on those guards. And it’s really a mismatch when he’s out there with those guards because you’re talking about a guy that’s almost 290 pounds and has the explosive ability of a defensive end in the NFL.”
Cesaire expects big things from Hall in his third season.
“Mike is explosive. He looks better than he did when he came in as a rookie,” he said. “He’s strong, he’s violent and he understands the game plan. He understands just what we want him to do in the defense now.”
BIG PREDICTION
Defensive end Isaiah McGuire moved into a full-time starting role when Alex Wright was lost for the season with a torn Achilles last month. McGuire, a fourth-round pick in 2023, has started 12 of 37 games, including eight of 17 last year. He has 5.5 sacks for his career.
“I’m very comfortable with him and I trust him,” Cesaire said. “And the thing that I’ve seen that he’s done this year, a great job of changing his body, his get-off has been outstanding all summer long and he’s just gotten stronger.
“I think that he’s primed for a breakout season. He’s locked in, he’s focused.”
EXTRA POINTS
Graham was chosen as one of the Week 1 captains.
“It means a lot,” he said. “Huge recognition. Honored. It’s going to be cool to go out there on Sunday for that coin toss.”
** Right guard Teven Jenkins (back) was ruled out, and rookie center Parker Brailsford listed as questionable.
** For the Jaguars, running back LeQuint Allen Jr. (hip) was listed as questionable.
