Browns 'Stick and Pick' Alabama Center Parker Brailsford 146th Overall
Another addition to the offensive line rebuild, this time taking a swing at a long-term center.
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.
Is it fair to say at this point Monken has plans to be fairly zone heavy? Every OL they drafted seems made for zone.