Four Big Takeaways from 2026 Cleveland Browns Draft

The 2026 NFL Draft is officially in the books for the Cleveland Browns.

General manager Andrew Berry traded early and often, starting Thursday night’s trades by sending No. 6 overall to the Kansas City Chiefs for No. 9 overall, where the Browns drafted Spencer Fano.

The team added other offensive difference makers, making good on the promise to invest resources into fixing the offense by drafting wide receivers KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston. They also added a center in Alabama’s Parker Brailsford and tackle depth in Florida’s Austin Barber, who will compete on the offensive line.

Here are a few other big takeaways from the 2026 NFL Draft.

1. Todd Monken was a priority

Monken told reporters in Berea that he “felt better” about the state of the offense following Berry’s selections on Day 2.

The Browns doubled up at wide receiver, pairing Concepcion and Boston for a combination of speed and size around Jerry Jeudy.

Fano, Barber and Brailsford will give Monken and new offensive coordinator Travis Switzer plenty of size and depth upfront. Last season, Cleveland’s tackle depth was awful. Now, multiple positions will have actual competitions in training camp.

An offensive nucleus of Quinshon Judkins, Harold Fannin Jr., Concepcion and Boston with this revamped offensive line adds a little bit of intrigue to the 2026 Browns, regardless of who the quarterback is.

2. Finding still Berry’s strength

At some point throughout the pre-draft process, Fano, Concepcion, Boston and Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren were all mocked as first-round picks.

Berry found a way to assemble all of those players in the top 60, which instantly earned this class a remarkable grade nationally. The board fell Cleveland’s way, and the Browns drafted players that they had targeted throughout the entire draft.

3. 2027 is still important

Dec 31, 2025; Orlando, FL, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) runs with the ball against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Camping World Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

Everyone knows by now that the 2027 quarterback class is expected to be the real deal. And the Browns added a little more ammo to make a maneuver for a passer next year.

On Day 2, Berry traded out of the third-round at No. 70 overall with the New York Giants in exchange for a fourth-round pick in 2027, plus No. 105 and 145. On Day 3, the Browns traded No. 148 to the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a 2027 fourth-round pick.

The Browns own all of their own picks in 2027 besides their sixth-rounder. They have two additional fourth-round picks and an additional fifth-round pick. The also own the Los Angeles Chargers’ seventh-round pick.

That’s plenty of Day 3 ammo, and Berry proved this weekend that he’s always in the market for an aggressive trade up. In Round 2, the Browns ended McNeil-Warren’s slide at No. 58. Berry noted that McNeil-Warren was in striking distance and the team felt it was appropriate to make a move. In 2027, the Browns could take the same approach in what’s expected to be a much better draft class.

Next year, the Browns could take the same approach on a larger scale at the quarterback psotion.

4. Another developmental quarterback matters

The Browns couldn’t carry four quarterbacks last year, even though Joe Flacco, Kenny Pickett, Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders all competed for Kevin Stefanski in the preseason.

Monken said he’d never want to manage a three or four man competition, and it feels like Deshaun Watson and Sanders were set to compete for QB1.

Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green was the first pick of the sixth round for the Browns. Berry said that the team views the 6-foot-6 athlete as a quarterback, despite speculation that he could move to wide receiver or tight end.

He likely won’t threaten Watson or Sanders as Cleveland’s Week 1 starter, but Monken loves athletic quarterbacks that can make plays out of structure, and Green fits that bill as well as any quarterback in this class, even though he needs to be developed.

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