Let’s preface today’s opening drive with a reminder that draft grades are somewhat unproductive, given that players haven’t played a down yet, and in reality, the success of a draft can only truly be realized several years after the fact. However, when the Browns get this kind of national praise, it’s worth noting.

Yes, the Cleveland Browns pulled A’s across the board. That’s the easy takeaway. But what makes this draft stand out isn’t the letters but the volume and alignment of the voices behind them.

From ESPN to CBS Sports to NFL.com, this wasn’t a scattered approval. This is the consensus thought behind what the Browns did in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Wall of A’s

Let’s start with the grades themselves:

• CBS Sports: A to A+

• NFL.com: A

• ESPN: A range

• Sports Illustrated: A

• Pro Football Focus: A / A+

• The Athletic: A

• Yahoo Sports: A tier

• The 33rd Team: A -

This is as close as you’ll get to a clean sweep across the national landscape, and that alone should tell you something about how this class is viewed inside league circles.

The Grades Are One Thing — The Messaging Is Another

The real story is in the reasoning behind those grades.

At ESPN, Mel Kiper Jr. emphasized that this wasn’t just a strong class on paper but one built for immediate contribution. His evaluation centered on how many players could realistically step into roles right away, particularly on offense.

That’s a key distinction. This wasn’t a “wait two years” group but a class that can help now.

Winning the Board, Not Just the Picks

Over at The Ringer, Danny Kelly pushed the conversation further, calling Cleveland one of the biggest winners of the entire draft.

His reasoning was consistent with what many evaluators saw: the Browns kept landing value.

Not once or twice. Every time you looked up, Cleveland took a player who matched or exceeded where they were expected to go.

Aggressive — But Controlled

From The Athletic, Mike Jones highlighted something just as important: the Browns didn’t sit still.

They moved around the board, were active, dictated terms when needed, and still came away with a class that checked every major box. That balance is difficult. Too aggressive, you burn capital. Too passive, you miss impact players.

Cleveland managed both sides of that equation.

Structure, Fit, and Flexibility

At NFL.com, Chad Reuter leaned into the structural side of the class.

His evaluation focused on premium positions early, flexibility throughout, and a roster build that makes sense when you zoom out. That’s not always the case after a draft. Plenty of teams chase talent without cohesion.

They Didn’t Just Address Needs — They Reinforced Them

One consistent theme across outlets like CBS Sports and Sports Illustrated was how Cleveland handled its biggest weaknesses.

The Browns didn’t just address the offensive line and wide receiver.

They attacked both areas multiple times. That stood out.

It signals something bigger than just filling holes. It shows a commitment to building infrastructure, especially on offense. Not just adding talent but creating an environment where the quarterback position can function and grow.

Below you’ll find the latest in the BFB catalog for supporters to dig into. Click the link to become a supporter if you haven’t already, and enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.

Latest Podcasts:

• Inside the Browns War Room, and Browns Draft Class Superlatives

• Monday After the Draft Check-In, and Browns UDFA Analysis

• Browns 2026 NFL Draft - Day Three Recap

• Recapping Rounds 2&3, Breaking Down the Browns Three Selections, Day 3 Best Available, and Rounds 4-7 Mock Draft

• Recapping Round 1, Breaking Down the Browns Selections, League-Wide Trades, Day 2 Best Available, and Day 2 Mock Draft

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• Browns Trade Up Again to Select Offensive Tackle Austin Barber 86th Overall

• Browns Trade Up to Select Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren 58th Overall

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• Browns Draft KC Concepcion 24th to Bolster Wide Receiver Room

• Browns Trade Down With Chiefs, Select Utah Offensive Tackle Spencer Fano

• KC Concepcion is this Draft's Most Versatile Weapon

Latest Film Rooms:

• FILM ROOM: KC Concepcion Draft Pick Profile and Scouting Report

• PROSPECT FILM ROOM: Spencer Fano, Offensive Tackle, Utah

Dane Brugler Check

If you want to know how real a draft class is, you go to Dane Brugler.

Brugler doesn’t build his evaluations around team needs or narratives. His board is rooted in film, league feedback, and independent grading, which is why it’s one of the most respected reference points in football.

This is what it looks like when a team is winning the board, not reaching or chasing needs, but letting value come to them and capitalizing on it.

You won’t always get a headline ranking from Brugler, but the Browns landed in the number one spot in his draft power rankings.

McShay Stamp — And It Might Be the Loudest One

If there was one voice that cut through the noise after draft weekend, it was Todd McShay.

On his post-draft recap show, McShay praised the Browns, putting them as the team that did the best in this year’s draft. In his view, Cleveland was the headlining team of the entire draft, the one that set the tone for how it should be done.

And it wasn’t just about the obvious names.

McShay went out of his way to highlight the depth of the class, pointing to players like Joe Royer and Taylen Green as examples of how well Cleveland navigated the middle and later portions of the draft. Both McShay and his co-host Steve Muench were high on those types of additions throughout the process, and seeing the Browns land them only reinforced the strength of the class.

It was McShay’s quote that was the real takeaway here, as he stated,

“I don’t know if I have ever felt more promising, more of a promising feeling coming off an NFL Draft than I do right now in this moment about the Cleveland Browns.”

A big statement, for sure, followed by a comment from Muench saying he thinks part of that feeling has to do with what they did last year as well.

High praise about the Browns’ process in the last two drafts and the kind of players they are bringing into the fold from two guys who do this all year long.

The Monken Effect Is Showing Up

You can feel Todd Monken all over this draft.

Multiple outlets framed Cleveland’s approach as a reflection of a clear offensive vision, one built around spacing, protection, and giving the quarterback answers.

That’s a shift from what this team has been, and, nationally, that shift is being viewed as intentional and well-executed during the draft.

Key Takeaway

This isn’t just about winning draft weekend. It’s about what it signals.

The Browns didn’t just have a good draft. They had a draft that aligns with how successful teams build: premium positions, offensive support, and depth with purpose.

When every major outlet, each with its own approach and grading criteria, lands in the same place, it sends a clear message: the process was strong. The Browns earned high marks across the NFL landscape, but the work is just beginning, as the focus now shifts to development, execution, and tangible results.

Browns Film Breakdown will return with more All-22 film this week of draftees.

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For Browns fans, optimism about a first-round offensive tackle switching sides has a very specific, very painful expiration date — it’s somewhere around the time they remember Jedrick Wills Jr.

The parallel is hard to ignore. When the Browns selected Wills with the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, they immediately announced plans to move him to left tackle after he had played right tackle throughout high school and his entire three-year career at Alabama. The front office and coaches displayed nothing but confidence and rightfully so, Wills was plenty talented.

It started well enough. Wills earned All-Rookie honors in 2020 and looked like the blindside anchor Cleveland had been starving for. But the promise never fully materialized and the dominance he displayed on the right side at Alabama never materialized on the left side in the NFL. His career halted due to progressive issues in effort and likely tied to lingering knee issues — he suffered an MCL injury in November 2023 and appeared in just 13 of a possible 34 games since the start of that campaign. By 2025, Wills didn’t play for the Browns at all and moved on to try a new chapter with the Chicago Bears this offseason.

Now here come the Browns again — a new first-round tackle, another position switch, another round of “trust us.” This time it’s Fano going back to the left side after two dominant years at right tackle in college. Here we go again, but this time it is different.

Below you’ll find the latest in the BFB catalog for supporters to dig into. Click the link to become a supporter if you haven’t already, and enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.

Latest Podcasts:

• Monday After the Draft Check-In, and Browns UDFA Analysis

• Browns 2026 NFL Draft - Day Three Recap

• Recapping Rounds 2&3, Breaking Down the Browns Three Selections, Day 3 Best Available, and Rounds 4-7 Mock Draft

• Recapping Round 1, Breaking Down the Browns Selections, League-Wide Trades, Day 2 Best Available, and Day 2 Mock Draft

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• Browns Draft KC Concepcion 24th to Bolster Wide Receiver Room

• Browns Trade Down With Chiefs, Select Utah Offensive Tackle Spencer Fano

• KC Concepcion is this Draft's Most Versatile Weapon

Latest Film Rooms:

• FILM ROOM: KC Concepcion Draft Pick Profile and Scouting Report

• PROSPECT FILM ROOM: Spencer Fano, Offensive Tackle, Utah

Browns’ Hall-of-Fame Inductee Joe Thomas weighed in on the tackle-switching concerns directly, saying the problem with Wills was never the position change — it was “motivation and desire.” It’s tough to argue Thomas’s point, but there is little doubt it took Wills time to feel out the side switch and his left hand dominance, once on the inside when aligning at right tackle, never transferred to his outside punch on the left side. While Wills didn’t fail entirely because of the switching of sides, it did play a role. But we also won’t ignore the impact of injuries, attitude questions, and unmet expectations.

And Fano’s résumé arrives with considerably more experience where it matters most. Sure, he had the awards on the right side, but he also has something Wills didn’t: actual left tackle starting experience at the college level, having started 12 games at left tackle as a true freshman before moving to right tackle for his final two seasons.

When Utah’s coaching staff decided to move Fano from left tackle to right tackle ahead of his sophomore season, it might have looked like a demotion from the outside but it was more about the comfort of his teammate and a willingness to do whatever the teams needs.

Fano had made an immediate splash as a true freshman in 2023, becoming one of only two true freshmen in all of Division I to start at left tackle to open the season. While it was uneven to start the season against a good Florida defense he eventually settled in at just 19-years old to have a strong season. Notice the reps in here against new teammate Tyreak Sapp at Florida (94) and 2024 first-round pick (15th overall—Colts) Laiatu Latu from UCLA. Fano more than held his own.

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The Browns came out of the draft with elite grades across the board as they maximized value early and churned the bottom of their roster with picks late that helped fill niche roles and special teams upside. They chase many of the same things here in their deep UDFA class.

Within hours of the final pick, Andrew Berry's staff was on the phone making the calls that fill out the bottom half of the 90-man roster. These are the players who show up with nothing guaranteed, fight for every rep in training camp, and occasionally turn a minimum deal into a career — the Browns have shown they are more than willing to give UDFA players roster spots if they earn it over the summer and during camp. Sixteen Browns undrafted free agents are known so far and I break each of them down in deep detail for you below. Enjoy.

Below you’ll find the latest in the BFB catalog for supporters to dig into. Click the link to become a supporter if you haven’t already, and enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.

Latest Podcasts:

• Browns 2026 NFL Draft - Day Three Recap

• Recapping Rounds 2&3, Breaking Down the Browns Three Selections, Day 3 Best Available, and Rounds 4-7 Mock Draft

• Recapping Round 1, Breaking Down the Browns Selections, League-Wide Trades, Day 2 Best Available, and Day 2 Mock Draft

Latest Articles:

• Browns Trade Up Again to Select Offensive Tackle Austin Barber 86th Overall

• Browns Trade Up to Select Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren 58th Overall

• Browns Keep Adding to Wide Receiver Room, Select Denzel Boston 39th Overall

• Browns Draft KC Concepcion 24th to Bolster Wide Receiver Room

• Browns Trade Down With Chiefs, Select Utah Offensive Tackle Spencer Fano

• KC Concepcion is this Draft's Most Versatile Weapon

Latest Film Rooms:

• FILM ROOM: KC Concepcion Draft Pick Profile and Scouting Report

• PROSPECT FILM ROOM: Spencer Fano, Offensive Tackle, Utah

Bernard Gooden, DT, LSU

Defensive Tackle · 6’1” 295 lbs · 15.5 career TFLs · 4 career sacks · 39 career games

Gooden is a Montgomery, Alabama product who did not receive a single college offer until his senior year of high school — the COVID recruiting cycle all but wiped out his exposure window — Gooden started at Wake Forest, sat out a year after transferring to South Florida, broke through with 35 tackles and 10 tackles for loss in 2024, and then made the boldest decision of his career: choosing LSU for his senior season when he could have stayed comfortable at USF. In Baton Rouge, under position coach Kyle Williams — a 13-year NFL veteran and LSU All-American — Gooden started 11 of 12 games, recorded 24 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, and 2 sacks, including a signature performance against South Carolina where he delivered 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks. He plays with high energy and effort, uses his hands with intent against blockers, and has the run-stopping foundation that defensive line coaches can work with. The size is tweener — too small for a traditional two-gapping nose, not long enough for a pure three-technique — but the motor has never had an off switch.

Browns Fit: Developmental interior presence with the kind of character and effort that earns long looks in training camp. A long shot to make the 53, but the kind of player who sticks on practice squads and develops into real depth.

Logan Fano, EDGE, Utah

Edge Rusher · 6’5” 260 lbs · 93 career tackles · 18 career TFLs · 10.5 career sacks · All-Big 12 Second Team 2025

Cleveland wasted no time keeping the Fano family together. Within hours of drafting Spencer Fano with the ninth overall pick — one of the most celebrated moments of the draft — the Browns signed Spencer’s older brother Logan to an undrafted free agent deal, a move that is equal parts sentiment and sound football logic. Fano is not a charity signing. He earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors at Utah in 2025, finishing with 44 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks across 11 starts. For his career, he started 23 of 28 games and accumulated 93 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, and 10.5 sacks. He likely went undrafted because of a pass-rush plan that leans too heavily on foot speed over hand technique, combined with a first step that does not consistently win the edge against quicker tackles. He also has a tendency toward impatience — overcommitting upfield and opening himself to counter moves and misdirection. But the physical tools are legitimate. At 6’5” with 260 pounds of lean muscle, he has pro size and strength, can play with a hand down or standing up, and projects as a core special teamer with upside as a situational rotational piece. Having his brother in the building — a first-round cornerstone the team built around — is not nothing. Family proximity can be a stabilizing force for young players adjusting to the professional game and it should help out both immensely.

Browns Fit: Long-armed edge with legitimate production history and a proven motor. Special teams candidate with developmental upside on the defensive line. The family angle is a bonus, but the football case stands on its own.

Tyreak Sapp, EDGE, Florida

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The Cleveland Browns made their final selection of the 2026 NFL Draft with the 248th overall pick, choosing BYU tight end Carsen Ryan — an Orem, Utah native who the Browns see as a chess piece who will give them true blocking utility that is badly needed but his upside is the appeal.

Ryan’s path to the NFL was anything but a straight line. He was a dependable, well-rounded tight end who had a breakout season at BYU after being an adequate second tight end at Utah and UCLA to start his college career. When he finally got his shot as a full-time starter with the Cougars, he made the most of it. Ryan finished with 45 catches for 620 yards and three touchdowns, and was named an All-Big 12 honorable mention tight end.

His coming-out party arrived on the biggest stage available to him. He caught eight passes for 120 yards in the bowl game, pushing his season totals over the top and drawing significant attention from the NFL. He was a sleeper until late in the process. You have to picture the Browns using him as a Y-TE and Fullback hybrid that will fit inside run-heavy packages with deception capability baked in.

Ryan is an every-down worker. He offers utility with the ability to contribute as a blocker, underneath receiver, and situational pass protector, supported by strong route IQ, soft hands, and efficient production. His blocking is a particular calling card — he ran a 4.66 in the 40 at BYU’s pro day and put up 23 reps on the bench press, answering any questions about his strength.

His BYU tight ends coach, a former NFL tight ends coach himself, put it simply. “Certain things would have to happen for him to make a 53-man roster, but if he does, he could be an 8-10 year NFL vet,” said Kevin Gilbride. “The guys who did everything the right way and executed at a high level — that’s what teams are going to get with Ryan.”

For a Browns team that already boasts emerging star Harold Fannin Jr. at tight end and spent a 5th-round pick on Cincinnati’s Joe Royer, Ryan slides in as a complementary piece — a reliable, tough-as-nails blocker, and a piece the tight end room really needed. It’s a fitting final pick for a Browns draft class built on character, versatility, and football intelligence from top to bottom — and plenty of talent selected on offense.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of this pick in the coming week.

The Cleveland Browns once again turned to offense in the 2026 NFL Draft by doing what teams try to do on Day 3 — finding a high-upside quarterback hiding in the late rounds. With the 182nd overall pick, they selected Arkansas signal-caller Taylen Green, a player whose physical tools border on the absurd.

The physical profile alone tells a story. Green broke the NFL Combine quarterback record in the vertical jump and then broke the broad jump record, running a 4.36 forty at 6-foot-6 — with his Relative Athletic Score coming back at a jaw-dropping 9.99.

Green began his career at Boise State earning Freshman All-American honors before transferring to Arkansas ahead of the 2024 season, where he became the first quarterback in program history to record multiple 100-yard rushing games in a single season. In his final college season, he threw for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions while adding over 600 yards on the ground.

The arm talent is impressive. At his best, Green showed he could layer the ball over second-level defenders with pace and touch, operate off-platform on designed rollouts, and generate eye-catching velocity from different launch points. He has produced several historic performances, including six touchdown passes in a single game, tying for the second-most in Arkansas history.

The questions are equally justified. Despite starting multiple years in college, his field vision, accuracy, and risk aversion remain areas of concern — and he puts the ball in harm’s way at an alarming rate. His operational side is too underdeveloped, with arm arrogance leading to frequent questionable throws, especially late in games.

But at pick 182, the Browns aren’t asking Green to start in September. The young roster in Cleveland is considered a right fit for him to develop — picking a high-upside, dual-threat prospect gives them another dart throw at the position. His ability to win with his legs on called runs or pocket breaks pushes his value well beyond his passing profile alone.

Whether Green becomes a starter, a weapon, or a backup, the Browns got one of the draft’s most electrifying athletes for cheap and that’s never a bad thing.

GM Andrew Berry on Green

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of this pick in the coming week.

The Browns went back to adding more offense and this time it was Cincinnati tight end Joe Royer with the 170th overall pick — acquired from Denver — adding a receiver with an Ohio roots.

Royer’s journey to this moment has been anything but straightforward. A former consensus four-star recruit and top-10 player in Ohio, Royer originally signed with Ohio State out of Cincinnati Elder, where he redshirted in 2020 and caught just four passes over the next three seasons before transferring to Cincinnati. It was there that everything changed. Under the guidance of tight ends coach Jordan Stepp, Royer found his footing again, crediting the coach with “helping save his football career” after he “lost the love of the game for a while.” His journey was made even more remarkable by the fact that he persevered through the devastating loss of his mother during his time at Ohio State.

The production at Cincinnati was immediate and impressive. He stepped right into a starting role and posted 50 receptions for 521 yards and three touchdowns in 2024, followed by 29 receptions for 416 yards and four touchdowns in his final season. Over his full college career, Royer totaled 83 receptions for 961 yards and seven touchdowns.

At 6-foot-5 and 247 pounds, Royer brings a prototypical frame to Cleveland’s tight end room. I don’t love that he did not test athletically through the process but at this value spot we trust the tape and throw out more of the missing data. He’s north of 24 after a long college career so he will be expect to impact the offense in a limited role and special teams right away. He is more of a receiving-focused tight end who brings above-average athleticism and excellent hands, projecting as a TE2 with the flexibility to align in receiver roles.

He posses adequate instincts in the intermediate passing game — his body control and ability to adjust to off-target throws show rare fluidity for a tight end of his size, and he creates space on intermediate routes with subtle acceleration and head fakes that consistently displace linebackers.

Royer needs to add functional strength as a blocker, improve his hand location, and play with a stronger base and better leverage at the point of attack. But the ceiling is enticing enough that despite having opportunities to enter the 2025 NFL Draft with invitations to the Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl, Royer elected to return for his final season with the goal of being the first tight end selected in the 2026 NFL Draft.

For a Browns offense that already features star tight end Harold Fannin Jr., adding Royer as a complementary receiving weapon at pick 170 represents strong late-round value — even if they missed on a few names earlier in the draft.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of this pick in the coming week.

Just three picks after selecting Crimson Tide center Parker Brailsford, the Cleveland Browns went right back to Alabama’s well, taking linebacker Justin Jefferson with the 149th overall pick. Two picks, two Tide players — and the Browns walked away feeling like they found a steal with upside for the defense but an immediate special teams contributor.

Jefferson’s journey to the NFL started with a JUCO stop before he arrived at Alabama. He was the No. 1 JUCO linebacker and second-ranked JUCO prospect overall, coming as a four-star recruit out of Pearl River Community College. After limited defensive action in his first year with the Crimson Tide, he steadily worked his way into the lineup. In 2024 he served as a rotational player and made three starts while collecting 60 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, and a pass defended.

Then came the breakout. His 2025 season was Jefferson’s true coming-out party for his draft stock, as he became a full-time starter and finished second on the team with 85 tackles, while adding 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception, five pass deflections, and a forced fumble.

Director of Player Personnel Adam Al-Khayyal noted how well Jefferson’s play style fits in Mike Rutenberg’s goals for the defense.

“Really nice scheme fit first and foremost,” Al-Khayyal said. “We have played with Devin (Bush), and Quinnen Williams. Both of those guys are around the same size, six foot, really fast, really athletic.”

“Just a real clean and vision for how he fits into the scheme,” he said. “And then when you have guys who can run 4.4, and like to hit, that translates pretty well on special teams. I think, Justin both on defense and on special teams will have a nice role.”

What Cleveland is getting is a speed-first linebacker who can fly sideline to sideline. Jefferson is a true sideline-to-sideline run-and-chase WILL linebacker with high-end speed to close fiercely on playmakers, adequate zone coverage instincts, and smooth hips and movement in space. His athleticism is elite for the position — he scored a 9.23 RAS out of a possible 10.00, ranking 269th out of 3,460 linebackers tracked from 1987 to 2026.

The fit at the NFL level is a bit less clear. Jefferson is a smallish WILL linebacker whose game is centered around his quickness and instincts, with above-average change-of-direction ability — making him likely to be a nickel linebacker who plays more situationally and with a special teams role as his best immediate fit.

The size is a legit concern for playing inside the tackle box, but Jefferson has answered those questions repeatedly with his play at the college level. He plays with a heart that is well above most linebackers and makes up for his physical limitations with the speed at which he attacks ball carriers and the instincts to always be in the right position.

At pick 149, Cleveland adds a high-effort, coverage-capable linebacker with the athleticism to have a shot to grow into a role and make that immediate impact in the special teams phases from day one — and an Alabama teammate for their brand new center.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of this pick in the coming week.

The Cleveland Browns continued their offensive line overhaul kicking off Day 4 of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Alabama center Parker Brailsford with the 146th overall pick. It was a fitting end to a draft in which Cleveland invested heavily in protecting its quarterback, having already taken tackles Spencer Fano and Austin Barber earlier in the weekend.

Brailsford’s path to Cleveland is anything but ordinary. A consensus four-star recruit, he signed with Washington and redshirted in 2022 before starting all 15 games as a redshirt freshman in 2023, anchoring the offensive line that won the prestigious Joe Moore Award — given annually to the nation’s top offensive line unit. When head coach Kalen DeBoer left for Alabama, Brailsford followed. He decided to forgo his remaining eligibility after serving as a team captain for the Tide and earning All-SEC honors in 2025.

By the time his college career was done, Brailsford had started an impressive 42 career games. He started 40 of those at center and two at right guard, including 14 games as a permanent team captain for Alabama in 2025.

Director of Player Personnel Adam Al-Khayyal spoke on Brailsford. "I think he's an athletic center," Al-Khayyal said. "What he does really well is move in the run game, has tremendous range, a great finish." The Browns seem to be fine with his sub-300-pound weight range as well. "He played in the high 280s, low 290s. I think he is more than capable at functioning and playing where he’s at in terms of his weight. If you didn't know his measurables, you wouldn't say he plays like a sub-300-pound player," he said. "He's strong, firm. I really like the skill set and really like how it fits with the offensive scheme. All along those lines. He gets on guys quickly, and so the guys with range, he can climb to the second level, pull, move out in space, all of that's predicated on having quickness, athleticism, and range, guys who can move like that are really successful in the scheme.""

His calling card is that movement and athleticism. His former Washington teammate and current Steeler Troy Fautanu said it best, calling Brailsford the “best center in the country” after he transferred to Alabama.

Brailsford is a zone-heavy center who would thrive in that offense type that wants its center moving laterally, climbing to linebackers, and making calls at the line is where he belongs. The questions, as with many smaller centers, center on size. He is alert and twitched-up with very good competitive toughness and sustain skills, and plays with the grit to carve out an NFL role — even competing for a starting center job if flanked with bigger, hulking guards to help mitigate his slender frame.

But Brailsford won’t let perception stop his belief in himself — even about playing any of the three interior spots. "I definitely think I could play any of the interior positions. I actually started at right guard my redshirt freshman year, so I'm pretty comfortable playing all three.”

At pick 146, the Browns landed a battle-tested, two-program veteran who was a captain at one of college football’s elite programs. The team has now spent considerable draft capital reshaping their offensive line from top to bottom — and Brailsford might be the final piece of that project.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of this pick in the coming week.

Night one featured an ideal trade down, and then Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion. Night two brought more calculated moves with the selection of Denzel Boston at 39 and then some movement up to get their first defensive weapon in Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at 58. They capped it off adding more offensive line talent in Austin Barber by moving up again to 86. Patience and aggression mixed.

Now comes the part of the draft that separates the good front offices from the great ones. Day 3 is where rosters are built in the margins — where a late-round cornerback becomes a starter, where a developmental edge rusher earns a role in year two, where a savvy tight end gives a young quarterback a safety valve he will use for the foreseeable future. The Browns know how important today is and they’re hungry to keep finding solutions with their five remaining selections.

There will be plenty of opportunity to move into the 4th round and there is logic out there a move is coming. With that in mind, here are the key names the Browns should be circling when the clock hits very soon.

Below you’ll find the latest in the BFB catalog for supporters to dig into. Click the link to become a supporter if you haven’t already, and enjoy all the latest from Browns Film Breakdown.

Latest Podcasts:

• Recapping Rounds 2&3, Breaking Down the Browns Three Selections, Day 3 Best Available, and Rounds 4-7 Mock Draft

• Recapping Round 1, Breaking Down the Browns Selections, League-Wide Trades, Day 2 Best Available, and Day 2 Mock Draft

• BFB Subscriber Mailbag - 2026 NFL Draft Day Edition

• Voluntary Minicamp Observations, and Ohio State Prospects with Jerrod Slater of Buckeye Film Breakdown

• 2026 Browns Draft Deep Dive with Fran Duffy of All City Network

• 2026 NFL Draft Offensive Line Deep Dive with Brandon Thorn of Trench Warfare

• 2026 NFL Draft Deep Dive with Matt Waldman of the Rookie Scouting Portfolio

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• Browns Trade Up Again to Select Offensive Tackle Austin Barber 86th Overall

• Browns Trade Up to Select Safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren 58th Overall

• Browns Keep Adding to Wide Receiver Room, Select Denzel Boston 39th Overall

• Browns Draft KC Concepcion 24th to Bolster Wide Receiver Room

• Browns Trade Down With Chiefs, Select Utah Offensive Tackle Spencer Fano

• KC Concepcion is this Draft's Most Versatile Weapon

Latest Film Rooms:

• FILM ROOM: KC Concepcion Draft Pick Profile and Scouting Report

• PROSPECT FILM ROOM: Spencer Fano, Offensive Tackle, Utah

Connor Lew, C, Auburn

Center · 6’3” 310 lbs · 1 sack allowed on 442 snaps (2024) · 29 career starts · 4-star recruit · ACL — Oct. 2025

Lew is one of the youngest players in the entire draft class and, if not for an ACL tear that ended his junior season in week eight against Missouri, he would have been a genuine Day 2 pick. The Auburn center was a four-star recruit from Kennesaw, Georgia who took over the starting position as a true freshman in 2023, won SEC Freshman of the Week in his second start, and earned All-Freshman honors in his first year. His sophomore tape is the film that every serious evaluator goes back to: 12 starts, a PFF Team of the Week nod after dominating Georgia, a Rimington Trophy watch list appearance, and a captaincy. He allowed one sack on 442 pass-blocking snaps that year. One. The lateral quickness that separates good centers from great ones is apparent on his best snap — he climbs to second-level linebackers like a guard, reaches on outside zone with a fluidity that is extremely rare for a pivot, and processes stunts and late blitzers with calm and patience. The ACL changes the immediate timeline. He likely cannot compete for a starting job in September. But the Browns should be drawn to the long-term upside here, and the ceiling on a healthy Lew is a foundational center who can anchor this offensive line for the foreseeable future if it all works out. Great Day 3 value swing.

Browns Fit: Long-term solution swing at center at a Day 3 price. If the medical checks out, this might be the best value pick in the entire draft for a team that just invested a first-round pick in an offensive tackle.

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The Browns made yet another move up the board on Day 3, trading with the Los Angeles Chargers to land pick No. 86 and select Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber — continuing what has been an aggressive and roster-reshaping 2026 NFL Draft for the organization — especially on offense.

The trade involved moving pick 105 (4th round), originally acquired from the Giants for 74 overall, then also sent 145 (received from the Giants as well)and their original 206th pick in the 6th round all to the Chargers. The Browns essentially sent 74 for 86 that turns into 2027 4th round pick.

Barber arrives in Cleveland as one of the most experienced offensive linemen in the entire draft class. A 6’6”, 314-pound prospect who entered Florida as a 4-star recruit, Barber started 38 career games primarily at left tackle, including 12 starts in 2025 while earning Third-Team All-SEC honors. He also participated in the Senior Bowl, where he further built his stock.

What makes Barber especially appealing is his versatility. As one of the few true left tackles in this draft, he also displayed the ability to play right tackle at the Senior Bowl, giving him swing tackle upside that teams covet. He told teams throughout the pre-draft process that his goal was simple — playing anywhere he can help the team win. The Browns noted, from head coach Todd Monken, following the pick that he is a player who could move inside and play some guard.

His athleticism stands out for a man his size, rooted in an unconventional background. Barber is an above-average athlete who shows light feet and good body control stemming from his basketball background, with functional explosiveness that translates to both run blocking and recovery flashes.

In the run game, Barber was dominant. He earned a 90.0 run block grade from PFF in 2025, and scouts rave about his finishing mentality. He has some mauler finishing traits on his tape when the ball stays on the ground, driving his legs through contact and hunting for finishes — often burying defenders into the turf. He does struggle to displace the stronger EDGE and interior defensive lineman at times in one-on-one, though.

The areas for growth are clear. His many issues in pass protection stem from inconsistency — high pad level, wide hands, and feet that aren’t always synchronized with his hand timing. But the ceiling is they see worth chasing. Moving up the way they did meant they didn’t envision him being there at pick 105.

For a team that selected Spencer Fano in the first round to anchor the offensive line, adding Barber as a developmental tackle with starting potential down the line at pick 86 has appealing upside. The Browns are betting that George Warhop can polish the technique and unlock the ceiling of a future NFL starter hiding behind some fixable flaws.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of the this pick tomorrow.

The Browns continue to make moves. After addressing their wide receiver room twice through Day 2, Cleveland turned its attention to the defensive side of the ball — trading up with the San Francisco 49ers to grab pick No. 58 and select Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.

For the deal, Andrew Berry pulled off one of their patented swaps giving the 49ers 70 and 107 for 58 and 152. The deal that feels like we see from the team every year.

McNeil-Warren was widely considered one of the draft’s biggest surprises still on the board. The Toledo safety became a borderline consensus first-round selection in recent months but slide down into the second round over the last few weeks. There was hope he could be had at 39 but the Browns went to Denzel Boston. Somehow he fell all the way into the late second round, and it was too good to pass up.

The Browns are getting a player with an impressive pedigree and a nose for the football. Coming off his most impressive collegiate season, McNeil-Warren recorded 77 tackles, five and a half tackles for loss, two interceptions, five passes defensed, two fumble recoveries, and three forced fumbles. Over the course of his career at Toledo, he forced nine fumbles and defensed 13 passes — a level of havoc production that drew comparisons to some of the league’s elite safeties.

The physical profile is striking. McNeil-Warren has great length for the position at 6-foot-3 with 32-inch arms, allowing him to effectively wrap up ball carriers, attack the football, and be disruptive at the catch point. His instincts are equally praised — he sports a high football IQ and is an active communicator in both the pre and post-snap phases of the game, consistently directing traffic in the back end of the defense and playing a major role in orchestrating coverage rotations.

Perhaps most impressive is his 2025 coverage grade. Among FBS safeties with at least 200 coverage snaps in 2025, McNeil-Warren was PFF’s top-graded player with a coverage grade of 92.0, giving up just six receptions for 116 yards on 15 targets.

McNeil-Warren projects as a starting safety for the Browns who drew some Grant Delpit comps with scheme and alignment versatility at the NFL level — capable of playing everything from deep safety in a Cover-3 to an enforcer in the tackle box.

The consensus seems to be that the media loved McNeil-Warren more than teams did as he has a bit of an esoteric style that doesn’t fit everywhere. But each year the NFL has quality safeties like this who land in ranges on Day 2 who make an immediate impact. The Browns match up well for what he does best.

McNeil-Warren was just the second Toledo Rocket to make the AP All-America team in 18 years, following Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell. Now he heads to Cleveland, where the Browns are betting he becomes the next great defensive back to come out of Toledo.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of the this pick tomorrow.

The Browns wasted no time continuing to address one of their most glaring roster weaknesses, using the 39th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to select Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston.

After selecting KC Concepcion in the first round, the Browns have now circled back to double up at wide receiver, grabbing the Washington wideout with their first pick of Day 2. It was a move that raised eyebrows but few complaints in Cleveland — Browns wide receivers combined for just four touchdowns all of last season, making the position a clear priority heading into the draft and they executed it.

At 6-foot-4 and 212 pounds, Boston brings an imposing physical presence to the Browns’ offense. His size has set him apart from other receivers in the draft, making him a weapon as an outside receiver who can catch almost any contested ball. Plenty of justifiable praise for his hands in particular — he treats the catch point like a power forward in the paint, boxing out and using his rangy frame and focus to secure the football, and carries an impressive 3.1 percent drop rate.

A smooth route runner in a big frame, Boston can easily get in and out of his breaks and is agile enough to be a dangerous punt returner. His ability to consistently adjust for the football, combined with his frame, makes him a weapon along the sideline and in the red zone. He fits well for the Browns as a traditional big body “X” who operates in the boundary winning back shoulder, high points the ball, and can win in the vertical portions of the field as well as the redzone as he had 20 touchdowns in his Washington career.

The Browns now have a potential one-two punch at receiver, pairing Boston with their Concepcion. Pairing the duo with budding star Harold Fannin Jr. at tight end would make the Browns’ offense more dynamic overnight. The Browns are defining roles in their 11-personnel and they are betting that Boston’s contested-catch ability, red zone presence, and reliability will be the spark their passing game has desperately needed.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown of the this pick tomorrow.

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The Browns had themselves a night. One of those occasions where the team’s needs fell right into their lap, they maximized value, and selected some quality talent. Spencer Fano gives them the offensive tackle they badly needed, and KC Concepcion adds a dynamic weapon to what was the worst receiving corps in the NFL last season. But the draft is often made on value picks and nailing the Day 2 selections.

We don’t have to rewind very far to notice that value considering the Browns landed the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in the early stages of last year’s 2nd round in Carson Schwesinger and then their running back of the future, who had a promising rookie season, in Quinshon Judkins. Good players are there to be found and the Browns need to nail Pick 39. Overall the Browns hold three selections in the first 75 picks but I am hyper-fixated on the quality talent remaining for their first selection of the night and the hope that they follow the board and get this one right. It’s full of talent that fits.

Below you will find who I think the Browns should be targeting based on my evaluations and what the team still needs most.

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• Browns Draft KC Concepcion 24th to Bolster Wide Receiver Room

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Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

Safety · 6’3” 201 lbs · 206 career tackles · 14 forced turnover last two years

McNeil-Warren is the best Group of Five prospect in this draft class, and it is not particularly close. The Toledo safety spent three years as a starter for the Rockets and compiled a career line of 206 tackles, five interceptions, and eight forced fumbles — and he did it with a style that translates immediately. At 6’3” with 32-inch arms, he is a physically imposing safety who arrives at contact with bad intentions. He consistently directed traffic in Toledo’s secondary, orchestrating coverage rotations pre-snap with a football IQ that NFL coaches universally covet. Against Kentucky in 2025, in one of the only marquee matchups of his college career, he delivered 11 tackles and a forced fumble — showing up when the moment was biggest. A shoulder injury ended his 2024 season early and caused some draft-day hesitation, but he bounced back to earn third-team AP All-America honors in 2025. The athleticism limitations — he is not a elite long-speed safety — are real, and could be put to use well in Cleveland. As a box safety and enforcer, but a player who can also play split and in the post, he is exactly what Cleveland’s secondary needs to set the tone for Mike Rutenberg’s defense.

Browns fit: Long-term anchor for the safety position with immediate starting ability. His intelligence and physicality give Cleveland a tone-setter in the back end from day one.

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Having selected their desired offensive tackle at 9th overall, the Browns’ attention shifted to pick 24 — their second first-rounder, inherited from Jacksonville. The need was obvious. The Browns’ receiver room has been a problem for two years running, and Berry wasn’t going to leave the 1st round without addressing it.

KC Concepcion ends up being the pick. He lasted on their board longer than I thought he would. The Texas A&M wideout had quietly climbed draft rankings throughout the pre-draft process — 61 catches, 919 yards, nine touchdowns in his final college season, plus two punt return touchdowns that reminded anyone watching that the kid could do damage with the ball in space. Teams had been eyeing him as a potential top-20 pick, and the Browns had to be uneasy he would last through the four picks leading up to their own at 24.

Concepcion joins a receiver room that needs his separation ability and explosive play tools. He has a productive profile and the Browns now get a player who can run but also has the type of route nuance you need to succeed in the NFL. He will have to overcome the drops perception and prove it won’t prohibit his long-term success but he has the tools to overcome it.

They now added two young, legitimate talents in tonight’s draft in Fano and Concepcion. Berry came into the draft with two first-round picks and two clear priorities. He left with both of them checked off, a third-rounder and fifth-rounder added from the Chiefs trade, and a roster that looks better than it did earlier this morning.

Not a bad start for the Browns in the 2026 NFL Draft. Let’s see what Day 2 brings.

Browns Film Breakdown will have full breakdown coverage of the two picks tomorrow.