Browns: New Wide Receivers Won’t Displace Jeudy, But Target Volume Could Still Shift
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry moved quickly to reassure the market on Jerry Jeudy after back-to-back draft picks at wide receiver. Still, the math of a replenished receiver room suggests fewer opportunities ahead for a veteran coming off one of his toughest professional seasons.
Berry addressed reporters after the second night of the 2026 NFL Draft, saying the selections of Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion in the first round and Washington’s Denzel Boston in the second would have “zero impact” on Jeudy. He went further, comparing his approach to building a receiver room to assembling a basketball roster, emphasizing complementary skill sets over competition for a single role.
“We want to add competition, so if you want to be one of the best offenses, a top-tier offense in the NFL, we want the cream to rise to the top,” assistant GM Glenn Cook said after the Boston selection. “Jerry Jeudy is still a talented NFL player, but we’re also going to not be complacent.”
The selections do represent clearly defined roles. Concepcion, an explosive 5-foot-9 pass catcher and return specialist who led the SEC with nine receiving touchdowns in 2025 at Texas A&M, profiles as the Browns’ primary slot option. Boston, a 6-foot-4, 212-pound outside receiver with elite contested-catch ability, projects to align as the team’s boundary X, a role that puts him closer to Jeudy’s territory on the formation.
Jeudy finished 2025 with 50 receptions for 602 yards and two touchdowns on 106 targets, catching fewer than half the balls thrown his way as Cleveland cycled through three starting quarterbacks. His reception percentage ranked among the lowest of his career, and the Browns finished last in the league in scoring for the second consecutive season.
The path forward for Jeudy likely runs through efficiency rather than volume. Head coach Todd Monken, hired in January after three seasons as Baltimore’s offensive coordinator, brings a system known for spreading targets across multiple playmakers. The Browns’ offensive coordinator is Travis Switzer, who comes to Cleveland from the Ravens’ staff.
Standing in the way of a major Jeudy resurgence is tight end Harold Fannin Jr., who totaled 107 targets in his first NFL season, a team-leading number that already pushed Jeudy into a secondary role down the stretch of 2025. Fannin’s emergence, now paired with two new starting-caliber receivers, means Jeudy will need to find production through precision rather than raw opportunity.