BEREA, Ohio — The Cleveland Browns may very well be the busiest workforce in Round 1 of the 2026 NFL draft.
Cleveland holds a pair of first-round picks (Nos. 6 and 24) — considered one of six groups with two Round 1 picks — and has evident wants at offensive sort out and large receiver.
There has been hypothesis the Browns might commerce out of the sixth decide; sources informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Cleveland has been taking calls concerning the No. 6 decide and is open to shifting it. ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr.’s final mock draft initiatives Cleveland to commerce the No. 6 and No. 39 picks to the Dallas Cowboys for the twelfth and twentieth picks.
Browns basic supervisor Andrew Berry, talking throughout his predraft news conference last Thursday, reiterated his concentrate on “maximizing the asset” of the No. 6 decide, whether or not or not it’s in a range or commerce. He additionally restated the need to concentrate on selecting elite gamers as an alternative of chasing wants.
“I think oftentimes the public discourse on the draft focuses on need,” Berry stated, “as if NFL teams go into the draft and say, ‘Hey, look, I’m just going to pick the best this player, this player because that’s how our roster looks today.’ When the reality of it is these players, they’re longer-term investments for your organization.”
If the positions that the Browns centered on for their predraft “30” visits are any indication of their plans for Round 1, Cleveland appears poised to focus on the large receiver and sort out positions. Of the Browns’ recognized and reported “30” visits, eight of the gamers have been large receivers, together with USC’s Makai Lemon (No. 10 prospect on Scouts Inc.’s big board), Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson (No. 12) and Ohio State’s Carnell Tate (No. 13).
Cleveland additionally had predraft visits with a handful of offensive tackles, together with Georgia’s Monroe Freeling (No. 14) and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor (No. 17).
At large receiver, the Browns want an addition to a place group that was the least productive within the NFL this previous season (1,467 receiving yards).
When Browns coach Todd Monken was requested on the annual league assembly what he’s in search of in a receiver, he stated: “Big, fast, physical ball skills. Run after catch. I mean, of course, that’s what everybody’s looking for. But I do think, like any position, looking for a player that — what is their elite trait? How can you continue to develop and round out the rest of their game, and how does it fit into what you want to do offensively?”
Cleveland additionally wants a long-term possibility at left sort out after the offense shuffled via 4 gamers in 2025 due to accidents and poor efficiency. Browns left tackles allowed a league-worst 16.2% strain fee and 36 fast pressures, based on NFL Next Gen Stats (Cleveland’s proper tackles did not fare a lot better, permitting a league-worst 15.3% strain fee and 29 fast pressures).
Miami’s Francis Mauigoa is Scouts Inc.’s high sort out and the No. 5 prospect, however he performed all three seasons at proper sort out in school. Utah’s Spencer Fano, the fourth-rated sort out and No. 19 prospect, performed his freshman season at left sort out earlier than shifting to proper sort out for the previous two seasons. Freeling and Proctor spent their school careers at left sort out. Berry, although, has stated he would not typecast a sort out prospect primarily based on their school place. In 2020, Berry used his first decide as GM on Jedrick Wills Jr., a university proper sort out who transitioned to left sort out within the NFL.
“Tackles are tackles,” Berry stated. “You’re looking for certain characteristics because they’ve all got to be able to protect on an edge. You know, top rushers are not staying [on] one side of the ball. So we really do analyze it within the aggregate position.”
Whether the Browns goal receiver or sort out first might depend upon how Berry views the depth of each positions, however historical past reveals groups have had higher luck discovering impactful receivers later in Round 1 and even after the opening evening of the draft.
According to ESPN Research, out of 99 large receivers drafted seventeenth to thirty second within the frequent draft period (since 1967), 22 have been named to a Pro Bowl (24%). Out of 89 offensive tackles drafted, 19 grew to become Pro Bowlers (21%). In Rounds 2 and three, 68 out of 463 large receivers drafted have change into Pro Bowlers (14%), whereas 23 out of 290 offensive tackles drafted in the identical rounds have change into Pro Bowlers (7%).
On Day 2, the Browns have picks No. 39 and 70.
“When I talk about supply and demand, each draft class, they’re comprised of depth and lack of depth at different positions,” Berry stated. “When we go into the weekend, I know so much focus is on the first round for every team, but I think generally when teams go into it, they look at, OK, here’s our aggregate choices or our selection choices, how do we maximize this bundle of assets?”
And but, there stays the likelihood the Browns eschew selecting a large receiver or a sort out in Round 1 for an additional place, as a result of it options the most effective participant on their board. It can be an analogous method to final yr’s draft, when Cleveland had wants on offense however used its first two picks on protection — defensive sort out Mason Graham and linebacker Carson Schwesinger — each of whom went on to be impactful gamers as rookies.
“All positions aren’t created equal, but ultimately you are looking for difference-makers and elite-level talent,” Berry stated. “Perfect example again is Carson last year. Does he play one of the more traditional, like, premium positions? No, but he has a premium skill set in that position and can make a huge difference.”
