For the Cleveland Browns, the addition of left tackle Spencer Fano in the April draft was the big news for an offensive line that was utterly rebuilt after what was mostly a disastrous and injury-plagued showing in 2025. The Browns brought in three veterans, and it was projected that Tytus Howard would be the right tackle, Elgton Jenkins would be the center and Zion Johnson would pick up at left guard. That meant right guard would be sixth-year veteran Teven Jenkins, the lone holdover from last season to be a potential starter–at least, until the Browns started watching rookie Austin Barber in camp.
Now, with Jenkins having struggled through training camp with an injury, and having been in and out of practice, Browns coach Todd Monken indicates that Barber could be their starter at guard on Sunday against the Jaguars.
Said Monken: “We’ll have to see. I really hadn’t thought about it, but I would think it’s close enough to where, but we’ll see where Teven is when we get out there today.”
Austin Barber Over Teven Jenkins for Browns?
The Browns identified Barber as a player they wanted, and parted with three picks (Nos. 105, 145 and 206 to the Chargers) to move to No. 86 overall in the third round of the NFL draft to get him. Barber is massive, at 6-foot-7 and 318 pounds, and though he played both tackle spots at Florida, some of his struggles against top edge rushers signaled a potential move to guard as his NFL career. The Browns had him as a competitor for the swing tackle spot off the bench, but he’s been competing with Jenkins for the guard spot.
Jenkins, the brother of Elgton Jenkins, has played 62 games over the past five seasons, first in Chicago before coming to Cleveland last year. He has made 42 starts, including four for the Browns in 2025, playing at right guard and left guard.
Browns Veterans Helpful
Barber said he practiced some at guard when he was at Florida, but that he was exclusively a tackle for the Gators on game days. If Jenkins is named the starter at guard, Barber would be an option at any spot on the offensive line (except center), should an injury arise.
“There’s some things you got to work out, but at the end of the day, you’re playing offensive line,” Barber said. “They’re really good coaches and I got really good vets in the room that have been helping me out a lot. … You lean on those guys because they’ve been in it. They’ve been in the war, they’ve been in the fight. So you just take as many things from them as you can. You take nuggets from them that they’ve learned from their experiences.”
Austin Barber Viewed as a Swing Tackle in NFL Draft
Again, the scouting report on Barber before the Browns picked him was that he could struggle with top edge rushers. So, there’s some sense in him playing guard.
From the NFL.com scouting report on him this spring: “Tall tackle prospect with starting experience at both tackle spots. He’s played against top-tier talent in the SEC, which bolsters his case, but his struggles against Texas A&M and Miami provide an idea of his ceiling. He has good feet and strong hands. He knows how to play but he struggles to bend and drive at the point of attack. Same goes for anchoring or defending his edges against power rushers. Barber projects as a Day 3 pick with a chance of becoming a swing tackle.”
Browns Say 3rd-Round Rookie Could Beat Veteran for Week 1 Start