The Cleveland Browns have had a busy offseason with the QB1 competition, the Myles Garrett-Jared Verse trade, the retirement of Joel Bitonio, and more. During the 2026 Draft, the Browns brought in a few young and talented rookies who are looking to make a mark in their first year. And KC Concepcion is one of them.

“I think rookie KC Concepcion will be the primary punt returner,” said Athletic’s Zac Jackson in his June 18 article. “I think the competition for the kickoff return and core special team coverage jobs will be among players already slotted to make the roster as backups.”

At Texas A&M, Concepcion was one of the nation’s top punt returners, averaging 20.0 yards per return with multiple long returns and return touchdowns.

KC Concepcion was the overall No.24 pick of the Browns during the 2026 NFL Draft. The Texas A&M wideout signed a four-year deal worth $20 million fully guaranteed, as confirmed by NFL insider Ian Rapoport. 

Johnson's report on Concepcion gives insight into what the Browns expect of him.

Per Brandon Marcus of Browns Nation, Concepcion’s role on the current roster was a topic of concern when the Browns acquired him. His versatility and ability to do multiple things were deciding factors for the Browns to acquire him in the first round.

Marcus added that the Browns are undergoing a transitional phase where they want to use young talent to fill voids and boost the roster. The Browns are now aiming to have a team that is bursting with young and exciting energy.

He concluded that the Browns had high expectations of KC when they drafted him in the first round. By slotting him in the punt returner position, the Browns are trusting the rookie, whom head coach Monken compared with Zay Flowers, to make an immediate impact.

Todd Monken Compares KC Concepcion to Zay Flowers

JR DeGroote of Heavy.com shared on June 10th that he expects rookie KC Concepcion to land a significant role immediately. A reason for this is that head coach Todd Monken compared some aspect of Concepcion’s game to Zay Flowers, the WR of the Baltimore Ravens.

“There are some traits that are similar to (Flowers),” said Monken, who was the Ravens’ offensive coordinator before, about KC. “But I love when people spoke about KC, it reminded me of Zay, in that, in terms of how he practiced, what he brings in every day. If you’re looking for that comparison, that I can compare, I believe he’s going to bring that like Zay did.”

DeGroote concluded by saying that while the Browns are still determining their starting quarterback situation between Sanders and Watson, Monken hopes to find consistency in KC and the other pass catchers.

Do you think KC can make an immediate impact as the Browns' primary punt returner?

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Written by

Naomi Grace

Edited by

Zaid Quraishi