The Cleveland Browns are shuffling their offensive line ahead of the 2026 regular season, and a rookie is at the center of the equation. 

Rookie OT Austin Barber, a 3rd-round pick back in April, spent most of training camp at right tackle. But when Cleveland returned to practice Monday following its preseason opener against the Chicago Bears, Barber was taking snaps at right guard.

The move is worth monitoring for a Browns offensive line still looking for its best combination before the Week 1 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Browns could move Austin Barber inside permanently one day 

Barber didn’t have a strong game against the Bears at right tackle, and the position switch on the first day back leaves an impression that Cleveland believes he could be better inside. Browns coach Todd Monken explained the reasoning on Tuesday:

“We just wanted to see him inside along with maybe seeing KT (Leveston) at tackle. Yesterday we wanted to take a look at that. It kind of came out of, when Teven (Jenkins) was having a few issues with his back, we thought, ‘well, why don’t we, before we get too far down the road, look at Austin at guard, KT at tackle. Could Elton play guard? Could Wyp (Luke Wypler) play center?’ Parker (Brailsford) got dinged up, we were thinking maybe he could be at center. We’re just trying to move those pieces around to see what the best combination is.”

The Browns want depth players who can line up at multiple positions. Dawand Jones is a good example, with his ability to play both left tackle and right tackle. There’s a good chance Jones could be the team’s swing tackle this season now that Spencer Fano has locked down the left tackle job, as expected. 

That doesn’t mean Barber is about to become the starting right guard, a spot still open and up for grabs. But he could potentially play there in a pinch if the Browns need him to. The ceiling is worth considering. Barber is a solid athlete, a former basketball player who can get to the second level and serve as a blocker with strong hands at the point of attack. Those traits translate well to the interior.

“I thought he did really well yesterday,” Monken added. “You wouldn’t have thought that he hadn’t played guard before, or even on the right side. So, I was really impressed yesterday with the way he handled it. And I thought KT looked better at right tackle than he did at guard. Sometimes things just happen a little too fast inside, at least for them now. I would never say never, but he actually looked a little bit better flipping those guys.”

Thursday’s joint practice with the Buffalo Bills will be important. Where Barber lines up with the second-team offense, and how he performs there, will be telling of what the Browns are currently thinking about his skillset, and where he best fits. Cleveland is only a couple of weeks into the preseason, and there is still ground to cover before the roster takes shape.

As Browns fans know all too well, offensive line injuries can pile up quickly, and they have in the past. Barber has to be ready to play in 2026, and the Browns took him on Day 2 of the draft knowing that’s a possibility. The coming weeks will show where he fits best.