The Cleveland Browns are in their second week of training camp as they prepare for the 2026 NFL season, and a second-year linebacker is making a case to crack the starting lineup. With Myles Garrett no longer around for the first time in nearly a decade, Cleveland has a new-look defense that will need players to step up and replace some of the production the superstar edge rusher left behind. 

One name generating buzz at Browns training camp is linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, a former undrafted free agent competing for the team’s third linebacker spot.

Mascarenas-Arnold is a potential hidden gem competing for a starting role

Most starting spots on the Browns’ defense are already set heading into the 2026 season. The third linebacker spot, however, remains up for grabs. Mascarenas-Arnold has been competing to start alongside Carson Schwesinger and free agent addition Quincy Williams. He’s going up against players like Nathaniel Watson, Winston Reed, and rookie Alabama linebacker Justin Jefferson for the role.

Mascarenas-Arnold is not a big linebacker at 5-foot-11, 227 pounds. He showed flashes of ability last year when he played in 16 games with one start and recorded nine tackles. He was primarily a special teams player, and that’s where he flashed a lot of his ability during his first year as an undrafted free agent.

Through training camp so far, Mascarenas-Arnold has been out there with the Browns a decent amount as the third linebacker. Browns head coach Todd Monken recently addressed what he’s seen from him.

“All he does is work, and we were just talking about it yesterday, his attention to detail,” Monken said. “He rarely makes the same mistake twice. Every day is the same for him in terms of his attitude, his energy, his body language. I’ve been impressed with all of those linebackers, including him.”

You can certainly see the difference when the pads come on. I think at times we get enamored in the spring with guys that kind of run around and have athleticism, but obviously all of those guys, along with Easton, you can really see their strength when the pads come on.”

The pads came on for Cleveland at the beginning of the week, and that’s where players like Mascarenas-Arnold can really stand out. The Browns are likely to go with a lot of two-linebacker looks this year with Schwesinger and Williams on the field. Still, there will be opportunities for the third linebacker to be out there and make a mark on running downs especially.

If Mascarenas-Arnold is starting in Week 1 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, don’t be surprised.