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On paper, KC Concepcion’s first month with the Cleveland Browns has been a quiet one. The 24th pick in the draft has 17 catches for 144 yards and no touchdowns on 28 targets, an average of 8.5 yards per reception.
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Lance Zierlein sees a plan behind those numbers. The NFL Network draft analyst ranked Concepcion eighth among offensive rookies through Week 4 and wrote that “it’s clear from watching tape that the Browns want to get the ball in Concepcion’s hands quickly to create easier throw-and-catch looks for Deshaun Watson.”
Why the short throws suit Watson
Concepcion’s targets have averaged 6.2 air yards, according to the Next Gen Stats figures Zierlein cited. Those throws give Watson somewhere to go with the ball early in the down, and he has needed it. Watson owns a 58.8 passing grade through four games, according to PFF, and he threw an interception and lost a fumble in the second half against Pittsburgh before leading his third straight game-winning drive in the fourth quarter.
The volume is there. Concepcion had 12 catches for 80 yards through three games. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported before the Steelers game that the Browns wanted Watson to get Concepcion more involved, and the rookie answered with five catches for 64 yards, both career highs, on a team-high eight targets. Two of those receptions gained more than 20 yards.
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None of it is a surprise to coach Todd Monken, who said back in August that “we’re trying to get him the ball as often as we can.” Monken said after the Steelers game that Concepcion and fellow rookie Denzel Boston are “wired the right way.”
Zierlein wants to see Concepcion “prove himself on contested catches,” but he expects the rookie’s quickness out of his breaks and ability after the catch to keep him “a highly targeted option in Cleveland.” There is one more reason he stays on the field. PFF has him at an 82.3 run-blocking grade, the best among Browns receivers with at least 100 snaps, and only Boston has run more routes among Cleveland’s wideouts. Cleveland is 3-1 and visits the New York Jets on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
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This story was originally published October 8, 2026 at 12:30 PM.