The Opening Drive 4/12: Things I Think I Know About The Browns - Draft Reports, Trade Rumors, Player Buzz, and More
Thoughts on the Browns draft smoke, what they should do, what's real and what's not.
The closer we get to draft night, the louder the noise becomes around the Cleveland Browns. Some of it is grounded in reality. Some of it is simply the product of draft season speculation.
We examine some of the trending smoke around the Browns draft and the NFL Draft in general. I lend my thoughts on these topics and parse through it all to give you a better picture of what I expect on night one of the 2026 NFL Draft.
If Picking At No. 6, It Should Be Carnell Tate
There is real uncertainty around the league and the Browns’ selection at No. 6 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.
According to Jordan Reid, sources across the league have been split on what the Browns will ultimately do — a sign this decision remains fluid deep into the process.
Reid notes the expectation centers on two positions: offensive tackle and wide receiver.
If Cleveland believes the receiver class thins out before No. 24, taking one early becomes more logical. If the concern is tackle depth, that shifts the priority, with names like Fano and Monroe Freeling tied to their evaluation process through league sources cited by Reid.
The latest name to surface is Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor, a player some around the league believe Cleveland is higher on than expected. That connection fits the Browns’ historical approach under Andrew Berry, prioritizing traits, size, and long-term upside at premium positions.
Jake has done an unbelievable job providing film breakdowns on each of the tackle prospects in play at six, and the more I dig into these guys, the less sure I am about any of them at such a premium pick in the draft. It’s unfortunate that there is no obvious choice here at such a critical position of need for the Browns, but that’s the reality of this draft. If forced to take a tackle here and all were available, I would have to go with Francis Mauigoa or Spencer Fano and figure out the right-side-left-side dilemma once you get him in the building. Monroe Freeling is too much of a projection at six overall. Maybe if they move back, but the consensus draft board has him at 17th overall, and Yahoo is the only outlet that has him in the top ten. The rumblings of Kadyn Proctor at six are scary, to say the least, and would not be comfortable taking a player with such a high variance of outcomes.
Ultimately, if the Browns keep their pick at six, Carnell Tate is the strongest choice. He meets a critical need and justifies the investment. Unless they work out a trade to move back, Tate at six is clearly the most justifiable move based on everything we know. It’s really not even close at this point.
Shifting from specific prospects at six, let’s look at trade opportunities the Browns may explore.
Examining All Aspects Of A Potential Trade Back
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