​The Cleveland Browns completely rebuilt their offensive line this offseason, leaving plenty of uncertainty about how the unit will perform when they take the field together for Week 1 of the 2026 season. Yet, ahead of training camp, at least one member of the revamped group has already earned some notable recognition. As ESPN rolls out its position-by-position top-10 rankings—voted on by executives, scouts, and coaches from around the league—new Browns center/guard Elgton Jenkins landed on the interior offensive line honorable mention list. Three other players also received honorable mention: Seattle Seahawks guard Grey Zabel, Dallas Cowboys guard Tyler Booker, and Carolina Panthers guard Robert Hunt.
“I’m surprised he didn’t have more trade value. I know he’s had durability issues, but he’s a really quality player who can play all over the line,” one AFC executive remarked about Jenkins in the piece compiled by Jeremy Fowler.
Cleveland acquired Jenkins as a free agent this offseason after the Packers released him just before the new league year. The move followed a lower-leg fracture he suffered in Green Bay’s Week 10 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, an injury that also involved ligament damage. Jenkins brings versatility to the Browns, having spent four years at Mississippi State (2014–2018) primarily at center before switching to guard once the Packers drafted him in the second round in 2019. The transition paid off, as he earned a PFWA All-Rookie Team nod in his first season and later secured multiple Pro Bowl selections in 2020 and 2022.
With Cleveland’s shift in the trenches, the question remains where Jenkins will line up. New head coach Todd Monken has indicated that four of the five starters are essentially settled, with Jenkins as one of them, but the precise position could change if another capable option emerges at center. During mandatory minicamp, Jenkins showed up primarily at center, though Monken has expressed a preference for using him at guard. The coaching staff believes Jenkins’ skill set could lend itself to either interior spot, depending on how the competition unfolds in training camp.
Monken’s overarching plan for the line is still taking shape as the Browns aim to maximize a unit built around Jenkins and a handful of newly acquired or developed players. Jenkins is the lone Browns o-lineman to appear on ESPN’s interior rankings list, which suggests the competition at center could be heated once camp begins. The top five interior linemen in ESPN’s ranking feature players from teams like the Cowboys and others, but the Browns’ own assessment of Jenkins remains central to their strategy for the line’s cohesion and effectiveness.
As the Browns brace for training camp and the full season ahead, optimism centers on how Jenkins and the rest of the reshaped line will mesh. The organization is counting on a combination of Jenkins’ flexibility, the depth they’ve added elsewhere along the front, and the system Monken wants to run to unlock better payoffs in the run game and pass protection. The coming weeks will reveal how the line shapes up, who emerges as the center, and how quickly the unit can gel under the new coaching regime.