Throughout the offseason, one of the most-discussed (and, perhaps, least fun) storylines was the Cleveland Browns’ quarterback battle, as Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders vied for the role of Cleveland’s QB1, at least at the start of the season. The fierce and often toxic battle (combined with both quarterbacks’ mediocre performance on the field, in both practice and the Browns’ first two preseason games) often overshadowed the other storylines coming from the shores of Lake Erie, including rookie wideout KC Concepcion’s progression. Concepcion, the 24th overall pick this past summer from Texas A&M, has impressed throughout camp, and he should be a valuable member of a young core that also features 2025 draft picks Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr.
Although Watson ultimately emerged the winner in Cleveland’s quarterback competition, it’s certainly no guarantee that he’ll remain the Browns’ top choice for the entire season. After all, three different signal-callers started at least four games for Cleveland last season, with Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Sanders all getting a crack at the starting role. The Browns’ final roster cuts indicate that the team’s decision-makers have low conviction in their quarterback options, as Watson, Sanders, and rookie Taylen Green all made the final 53-man roster, with Gabriel expected to join the active roster once he’s activated from Injured Reserve. It would almost be surprising if Concepcion didn’t catch at least one pass from both Watson and Sanders at some point this season.
Cleveland doesn’t have a ton of wide receiver depth, which should work in Concepcion’s favor. The Browns’ leading receiver last season was Fannin, a tight end, with Jerry Jeudy the only wide receiver to manage even 500 receiving yards, so both Concepcion and fellow rookie Denzel Boston should be in line for fairly significant roles. He was rather productive in college, producing 2,218 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns across two seasons at NC State and one with the Aggies, and his ability to quickly get separation should allow him to find plenty of space if Cleveland’s quarterback can find him.
Concepcion is talented, but he isn’t quite quarterback-proof. He’s better-served for short, quick routes where his after-catch ability can be best utilized, so he’d probably prefer to play with Watson, a short-pass specialist, than with Sanders, who excelled on deep shots in 2025 but posted among the lowest grades of any quarterback on throws between the line of scrimmage and 20 yards downfield. In college, he was most effective between the numbers, and while Watson was basically only good on throws of 10-to-20 air yards between the numbers in his last healthy season, Sanders was at his best on throws down the left sideline. Texas A&M’s offense also thrived most in play action, and Watson was slightly better in such situations in 2024 than Sanders was in 2025 (though neither was remotely good).
Because his skills align more with Watson’s strengths than with Sanders’ and because it’s widely-believed that Sanders will take over the starting job at some point, Concepcion’s ceiling is probably that of a low-end WR2 or high-end FLEX in deeper leagues. While the Browns did drop back to pass at the eighth-highest rate last season, they averaged 17 fewer passing yards per game after offensive coordinator Tommy Rees took over the offensive play-calling duties in Week 10. If Judkins stays healthy all season, he might well be the most talented Cleveland skill player, and a more balanced offense could be the expectation this season. Concepcion has been drafted 53rd overall among wide receivers so far (113.2 ADP in non-PPR leagues), just ahead of his teammate Jeudy. That feels like a fair position to me, given the players around him (such as Philadelphia Eagles rookie Makai Lemon), although I’d feel more comfortable taking Jeudy.
