Cleveland Browns first-round draft pick positioning finalized after Week 18

With the NFL Draft in April, the games closing out on Sunday put the Cleveland Browns steady at this draft position.

Feb 28, 2023; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry during the NFL combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

With the 2025/26 regular season coming to a close in the NFL, the next step for half the league is a pursuit of the Super Bowl. In Cleveland, the quest will be different, looking to build on a promising season.

One of the main parts of that building will come in the NFL Draft this April. The Browns own their own first-round pick along with the Jacksonville Jaguars' first-round pick as they acquired it during last year's draft.

While the Browns were in contention for the first overall pick or any of the top three, that is not where their pick ended up.

The Browns' first pick will officially be the sixth overall pick. 

The Las Vegas Raiders will pick first, then the New York Jets, the Arizona Cardinals at third, Tennessee at fourth, and the New York Giants at the fifth pick.

The Browns winning today ended up not affecting where their pick went, set they stayed put at six, although if they had lost, they would’ve had the fifth pick as the Giants also won today.

Other than the Giants, though, none of the teams ahead of Cleveland from 2-5 won today. So, Cleveland could have only moved up to 5.

While the Browns also own the Jaguars' first-round pick, that pick will fall in the 20s, but we will have to wait to see where it lands after the playoffs.

Having the sixth pick puts the Browns in an interesting position. The pick is most likely too low to snag one of the two top quarterbacks in Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore. Unless you are willing to trade up with and give up a pretty penny to one of the top two picks of teams that are quarterback-needy.

The position does put them in a prime spot to get a top wide receiver or offensive lineman. The names that come to mind are Jordyn Tyson and Carnell Tate at receiver, then Spencer Fano and Francis Mauigoa at tackle.

Cleveland could also take the path of trading back in the draft, as we saw last season, if they are not sold on a prospect to take them inside the top six. It is a tough position for GM Andrew Berry if he was counting on drafting a quarterback in this year’s class. 

Berry seems to be sticking around as general manager, and he will have to make some tough decisions soon on the head coach and what the team does in April.