Where Do the Cleveland Browns Stand a Week Before the 2026 NFL Draft?
With just a week away from the 2026 NFL Draft, it’s anyone’s guess what general manager Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns will do with their two first-round picks. Berry has repeatedly stated that his team has not yet landed on one guy for the sixth pick, and he’s even told reporters that Cleveland is considering trading down on draft night. With needs at wide receiver and left tackle, the consensus among league sources is that the Browns will prioritize adding one last piece on the offensive line with their earliest selection, and choose the pick of the litter in a deep receiver class with the 24th pick in the draft. There’s also speculation that Berry will pull the trigger on a quarterback, with options like Penn State’s Drew Allar available in the later rounds, or potentially even Alabama’s Ty Simpson early in the second. With nine total picks in 2026, here’s how things might shape up for Berry and the Browns come the end of next week.
Berry Takes Talent from Tuscaloosa, but Who?
As is the case with any draft class, the Alabama Crimson Tide has sent a bevy of talented young athletes that will most likely be swooped up in the first two rounds. Berry has already shown that he’s willing to take former Alabama players, as his first-ever draft selection as Cleveland’s general manager was former Crimson Tide tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. with the 10th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. Fast forward six years, and Berry finds himself in the same situation. The Browns need a strong left tackle to protect whoever is taking snaps at quarterback, and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor is a name that has been linked with Cleveland a lot lately, specifically by ESPN’s Jordan Reid, who wrote that he was told by sources that Berry is thinking of taking him with the sixth pick. Proctor is an absolute mammoth of a human being, with great size, strength, and speed for his figure. However, if the Browns decide to go in a different direction with the sixth pick, a separate prospect is up for grabs. Simpson, Proctor’s quarterback this past season, is coming off a phenomenal season in Tuscaloosa, but no one has reached an agreement on where he will land. If the Browns are serious about fully reloading their roster, a young and talented quarterback might be an option. Ultimately, it’s more likely that Proctor would find himself in Cleveland rather than Simpson, but anything can happen when the clock is ticking and the pressure is rising.
With Lots of Options at Wide Receiver, Cleveland Can Wait
It should be no surprise to anyone that Browns fans and Ohio State football fans often find themselves in the same boat, given how close the teams are geographically. The winds around Northeast Ohio have been clamoring for Berry to take former Buckeye wide receiver and 2024 National Champion Carnell Tate, as it would keep a fan-favorite in-state and bring an insanely talented pass catcher to a position group that needs talent. Those fans will likely have to come to terms with a world where Tate is passed over by Berry, as with seven days before the first round, that’s what it’s looking like the Browns will do. With such a glaring need at left tackle and an additional first-round pick, league sources and mock draft writers have continued to slate either Proctor or former Georgia Bulldog Monroe Freeling at the sixth pick instead of Tate. Former Texas A&M slot receiver KC Concepcion should be available for the taking with the 24th pick, along with Arizona State standout Jordyn Tyson, whose brother Jaylon is already a professional athlete in Cleveland with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Plenty of talented receivers will be available in the late first round or early second round, so if you’re both an OSU fan and a Browns fan, don’t keep your hopes up for Cleveland taking Tate with the sixth pick.
Will Cleveland and Dallas Make a Deal?
The newest rumor to come out of the pundit mill is that the Browns will trade down in the draft, specifically with Jerry Jones and the Dallas Cowboys. In his latest mock draft, longtime ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. proposed that Dallas will send the 12th and 20th picks to Cleveland for the sixth and 39th picks. This would be a very hard deal to pass up for Berry, as it gives him three first-rounders to play around with, with one of them staying in the top 15 selections. Not only that, Proctor could still be available with the 12th pick, as well as most targeted wide receivers with 20th or 24th picks. What makes that interesting is the Browns could then add a strong prospect to their already talented defense, such as Tennessee’s defensive back Jermod McCoy, or keep Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in Ohio. The Browns recently reaped huge rewards from trading down in last year’s draft with the Jacksonville Jaguars, and should really think about running it back again in 2026.
