Cleveland Browns ‘Almost Guaranteed’ to Trade No. 6 NFL Draft Pick

According to one NFL Draft analyst, the Cleveland Browns looking to bail out of No. 6 overall is almost as likely as the Las Vegas Raiders selecting Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Feb 3, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Executive vice president, football operations and general manager Andrew Berry speaks to the media during a press conference to introduce new head coach Todd Monken at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The NFL Draft is officially one week away, meaning the Cleveland Browns have seven more days to hear trade offers for the No. 6 overall selection.

Browns general manager Andrew Berry hasn’t been shy about putting the “for sale” sign on the No. 6 overall draft pick. Last year, the Browns received a haul from the Jaguars in exchange for the No. 2 overall selection, allowing Jacksonville to select Travis Hunter.

Even though the No. 6 overall pick won’t be as valuable as last year’s No. 2 overall choice, The Athletic’s NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler thinks it’s almost a lock that the Browns will look to trade back.

“Mendoza going No. 1 and the Browns looking to trade back – those are about the only two things we know for sure will be happening early in Round 1,” Brugler reported in his seven-round mock draft, which has the Browns trading back with the Dallas Cowboys.

Wow. That’s pretty strong. For months, it’s been a foregone conclusion that the Las Vegas Raiders would select Indiana Heisman winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

To say that the Browns are looking to trade back from No. 6 matches Mendoza’s certainty is pretty telling. By comparison, that means the Browns are almost guaranteed to look to trade the No. 6 overall selection. With the NFL Draft one week away, Berry sounds pretty eager to bail out of that spot.

Who could trade up with the Browns?

The Cowboys are a team to watch in a trade down scenario for the Browns. Jerry Jones spent last week meeting with the premium defensive end prospects and Ohio State superstar safety Caleb Downs. Dallas has two first-round selections (No. 12 and No. 20) and are reportedly willing to package those together for a big move up.

On the same accord, the Browns spent last week meeting with mid-round prospects like Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq, who likely wouldn’t be the No. 6 overall selection, but will probably be off the board by No. 24 overall, Cleveland’s bonus first-round pick from last year’s trade back with Jacksonville.

Even though there’s not a guaranteed left tackle prospect in this class, the Browns have also done extensive research on every top offensive linemen in this class. If they really fall in love with the versatility of Utah’s Spencer Fano or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, trading back a few slots would take a tremendous amount of pressure off of those players versus selecting them in the top 10.

Similarly, Georgia left tackle Monroe Freeling is very raw and might need some work. Typically, a No. 6 overall left tackle would be plug and play. But if the Browns like Freeling and want to patiently develop him, trading back a few spots and finding better value while adding more draft picks could be the smart way to proceed.

Also keep an eye on the New Orleans Saints (No. 8 overall) and the Kansas City Chiefs (No. 9 overall) as teams who could possibly trade up next week. The Chiefs aren’t usually in the top 10, so they could use this rare occasion to land a needle moving prospect like Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. The Saints could be after Love if he slips, but both of these teams will also have an eye on the top defensive players in this class, also.

If it’s almost guaranteed that the Browns trade their pick, Cleveland fans should brace themselves to select in the middle of the first round instead of No. 6 overall.