Last Year’s Browns Draft Plan Offers Clues for 2026

At pick six, we could see a plan that resembles how the 2025 NFL Draft unfolded for the Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry smiles as he discusses hiring Todd Monken during Monken’s introductory press conference at the Cleveland Browns training facility, Feb. 3, 2026, in Berea, Ohio. | Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 NFL Draft kicked off with the Tennessee Titans selecting quarterback Cam Ward at first overall. Cleveland was up with the second pick, with many assuming that they knew the team’s draft plans. 

The Browns shocked the NFL world by trading down with the Jacksonville Jaguars, as the Jags moved up to select WR/CB Travis Hunter. The Browns' selection was not set in stone, but maybe they had presumed what the pick would be.

The Browns reportedly would’ve also selected Hunter if the Jags did not make such an aggressive move to trade up, according to sources on the Pat McAfee Show.

Our source(s) told us that the Browns were gonna draft Travis Hunter at number two..

That was if the Jaguars didn't make that trade offer #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/QXhuXeTNlX

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 13, 2026

The pairing of Hunter and his college quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, would have been fun to see in Cleveland, but his positioning on the Browns would have been different. Andrew Berry said that Hunter had superior “ball skills” and would primarily be used to emphasize the offense. 

What's that mean for this NFL Draft?

This year, Cleveland’s first pick comes at sixth overall, and if the past tells us anything, we could see a similar strategy played out. The consensus player that Cleveland is targeting does not come out with a specific name, but rather a position.

Wide receiver or offensive line is what Browns fans have been vying for for the past couple of months, but if the top players at those positions are gone by six, trading down almost seems imminent. There is a good chance that Miami offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, along with Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate, will be selected in the top five.

Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling will definitely be in conversation at six, but if Cleveland is not sold on him being worth that pick, or that he is not worth that value, the pick will be moved. 

You saw in the draft last season that even a player Berry called a “unicorn” will not sway him from maximizing the value the team can acquire. The problem is that this season, having a pick at six holds substantially less value than a top-two pick. There have also been many reports that teams behind the Jets (2nd overall) are looking to move down. 

This includes Cleveland, Arizona, Tennessee, New York, and Washington. We have seen crazier stuff occur in drafts, and if a premier defender like Sonny Styles, David Bailey, or Caleb Downs falls a bit more than expected, we could see a contender move up aggressively. Teams like Dallas or Detroit could be eying a move up.