Each day leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft — April 23-25 — TeamFB7 will break down a different team’s biggest draft need and the best selection to address it. Granted, teams will most often use their first-round pick on the best available player/value and not necessarily always their biggest need, so this isn’t going to compile together into a mock draft in the end. It’s more a breakdown of how each team could best address its most paramount priority if it chooses.
Because of the historically bad trade for quarterback Deshaun Watson four years ago, the Cleveland Browns have only had one first-round pick in the last four NFL drafts.
Worse, they went three straight drafts without a selection higher than No. 54 before last year, when they picked at No. 5, No. 33 and No. 36 to finally start some semblance of a rebuild.
That’s an easy recipe for bottoming out in the NFL — especially when trading away those three first-round picks (six draft picks overall) for a player who then spends his entire tenure with the team either suspended, sidelined by multiple injuries or straight-up abysmal in the limited time he is on the field.
The Watson trade with the Texans — and the totally illogical $230-million fully guaranteed (!!) contract they subsequently gave him despite an impending suspension for two dozen allegations of inappropriate behavior with massage therapists — wrecked the Browns, plain and simple.
At least Cleveland fans can take solace in knowing the general manager who executed that franchise-derailing deal — arguably the worst trade in NFL history — is no longer the one charged with rebuilding the franchise from its fallout.
Nope, nevermind, Andrew Berry indeed remains the Browns’ general manager and vice president of football operations somehow!
Sorry, Cleveland fans …
(We presented a strong case last week that the Arizona Cardinals’ Monti Ossenfort is the worst GM in the NFL, while acknowledging that Berry was the only worthy challenger for that dubious distinction.)
Indeed, the Browns’ hopes to rebuild and recover from the Watson wreckage hinge on the same man who undermined the franchise just when it was experiencing a long-awaited and rare bit of success.
After 17 straight seasons without a playoff appearance, the Browns broke through in 2020 and 2023 with 11-win seasons and postseason berths under two-time NFL Coach of the Year Kevin Stefanski. He managed to pull off that 2023 playoff berth despite starting five different quarterbacks (as Watson played only six games before a season-ending injury).
So, at least Browns fans know Stefanski can make the best of a tough situation … nope, nevermind, the team fired Stefanski in January yet retained Berry.
Sorry again, Cleveland fans!
Stefanski was immediately one of the most coveted coaches on the market and quickly signed on as the Falcons’ head coach, while Cleveland labored through a winding coaching search that saw one candidate after another withdraw from consideration before former Ravens offensive coordinator Todd Monken got the job over the Browns’ own defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz.
Cleveland’s defense was the only positive it had to speak of the last two seasons, and Schwartz left the franchise in frustration over the Monken hiring, so add that to the fallout of it all.
Because of the improbable longevity of it — since 2020 and counting — Berry’s tenure may well go down as one of the all-time worst by an NFL general manager.
Unless he can save himself — and the team in the process.
This is an absolutely pivotal draft for Cleveland, which holds the following picks — listed by round (overall pick): 1 (6), 1 (24), 2 (39), 3 (70), 4 (107), 5 (146), 5 (149), 6 (206) and 7 (248).
(That second first-round pick came from the Jaguars when the Browns traded back from No. 2 to No. 5 in the 2025 NFL Draft.)
With that said, this would be a good time to look at Berry’s recent draft performance to gauge our confidence that he can actually maximize this opportunity …
Recent Cleveland Browns NFL Draft History Uninspiring
Let’s start at the beginning with Berry’s draft classes in Cleveland.
2020
First-round pick: OT Jedrick Wills Jr. at No. 10 — He started 57 games in five seasons but was mostly underwhelming and injury-prone while playing in just 13 games combined over 2023-24 before sitting out 2025 entirely. He is attempting a comeback in 2026 with the Chicago Bears. Overall, a bad return on investment for the No. 10 pick.
Great picks (1): S Grant Delpit at No. 44 (reliable mainstay for Browns defense, between 80-111 tackles four straight seasons, 7 career INTs),
Fine picks (2): TE Harrison Bryant at No. 115 (considered a strong blocking TE, played 65 games with 30 starts for Browns, totaling 89 catches for 792 yards and 10 TDs in four seasons before moving on) and WR Donovan Peoples-Jones at No. 187 (fine return for a sixth-round pick — had a career-high 61 catches for 839 yards and 3 TDs in 2022 and 117-1,837-8 in three and a half seasons for the team; now out of the league).
Busts/disappointments/non-factors (4): Wills, DT Jordan Elliott at No. 88 (5 sacks in four seasons for Browns, including two as a starter, now with 49ers), LB Jacob Phillips at No. 97 (8 starts in three seasons and then out of the league), C Nick Harris at No. 160 (6 starts in four seasons and then out of the league).
2021
First-round pick: CB Greg Newsome II at No. 26 — 49 starts in 59 games for the Browns with 3 INTs and 37 passes defended before being traded to Jaguars early last season.
Great picks (1): LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah at No. 52 (made a Pro Bowl in 2023 after posting 101 tackles, 20 TFLs, 3.5 sacks and 2 INTs, signed a 3-year, $39-million contract extension before 2024 season, had 61 tackles, 10 TFLs and 3 sacks in eight games that year but hasn’t played since due to a neck injury and his future remains uncertain still).
Fine picks (1): Newsome.
Busts/disappointments/non-factors (6): WR Anthony Schwartz at No. 91 (lasted just 25 games in the NFL), OL James Hudson at No. 110 (17 starts in four seasons with Browns, mostly a reserve before moving on), DT Tommy Togiai at No. 132 (18 games with 2 starts in two seasons before being released), LB Tony Fields at No. 153 (mostly a reserve for four seasons and now out of league), S Richard LeCounte at No. 169 (10 games over two seasons for Browns) and WR Demetric Felton at No. 211 (20 catches in two seasons and out of the league).
2022
Great picks (0): None
Fine picks (3): CB Martin Emerson at No. 68 (33 starts in three seasons with 202 tackles, 4 INTs and 34 PDs but hasn’t played sine tearing his ACL last July and is a free agent), DE Alex Wright at No. 78 (had at least 5 sacks in each of his last two full seasons in 2023 and 2025) and RB Jerome Ford at No. 156 (had career-high 813 yards and 4 TDs in 2023, totaled 1,463 yards and 7 TDs in four seasons, signed with Washington for 2026).
Busts/disappointments/non-factors (6): WR David Bell at No. 99 (41 catches in three seasons and out of the league), DT Perrion Winfrey at No. 108 (13 games as a reserve before being released after one season due to off-field incident), K Cade York at No. 124 (made just 24 of 32 field goals in lone season with Browns), WR Michael Woods II at No. 202 (12 catches in two seasons and out of the league), DE Isaiah Thomas at No. 223 (released after one season as a reserve) and OL Dawson Deaton at No. 246 (tore his ACL in training camp and never played in a game).
2023
Great picks (0): None
Fine picks (2): OL Dawand Jones at No. 111 (has played just 24 games in three seasons due to season-ending injuries each year but is a starter at left tackle when healthy) and C Luke Wypler at No. 190 (a backup center who started 6 games — at least some value for a sixth-round OL pick).
Busts/disappointments/non-factors (5): WR Cedric Tillman at No. 174 (had 21 catches for 270 yards and 2 TDs in his third season in 2025), DL Siaki Ika at No. 98 (lasted just 4 games in NFL), DE Isaiah McGuire at No. 126 (5.5 sacks in three seasons), QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson at No. 140 (started 5 games in 2023-24 and now plays in the UFL) and CB Cameron Mitchell at No. 142 (a reserve for 2-plus seasons before being released last September).
2024
Great picks (0): None
Fine picks (1): DB Myles Harden at No. 227 (emerged with 48 tackles and 4 PDs in 16 games with 5 starts in 2025; could compete for starting job at nickel this year).
Busts/disappointments/non-factors (5): DT Michael Hall at No. 54 (25 tackles and 2.5 sacks over two seasons mostly as a reserve), OL Zak Zinter at No. 85 (appeared in just 5 games in his second season and was often a healthy scratch), WR Jamari Thrash at No. 156 (13 catches in two seasons), LB Nathaniel Watson at No. 206 (14 tackles while spending time on the practice squad in 2024, did not play due to injury in 2025) and DT Jowon Briggs (had 13 tackles in 6 games off the bench in 2024, was traded to Jets after season for late-round pick swap; then had 4 sacks for Jets as part-time starter in 2025, but that didn’t help the Browns at all).
2025
First-round pick: DT Mason Graham at No. 5 — Graham started all 17 games as a rookie and had 49 tackles and 7 TFLs, making the PFWA All-Rookie Team while PFF ranked him 31st out of 134 qualifying DTs.
Great picks (2): LB Carson Schwesinger at No. 33 (NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year after totaling 156 tackles, 11 TFLs, 2.5 sacks and 2 INTs) and TE Harold Fannin at No. 67 (72 catches for 731 yards and 6 TDs as a rookie).
Fine picks (3): Graham (we’ll see how he develops, but for the No. 5 overall pick the return has not quite matched the investment yet), RB Quinshon Judkins at No. 36 (rushed for 827 yards and 7 TDs with 171 receiving yards in 14 games but averaged a meager 3.6 YPC) and QB Shedeur Sanders at No. 144 (everybody has an opinion, but the jury is still out on Sanders after he passed for 1,400 yards, 7 TDs and 10 INTs in 7 starts and 8 games total).
Busts/disappointments/non-factors (2): QB Dillon Gabriel at No. 94 (went 1-5 as a starter, finished with 937 yards, 7 TDs and 2 INTs and already looks to be out of favor with the organization) and RB Dylan Sampson at No. 126 (averaged just 2.7 YPC on 65 carries).
Summation
By our evaluation, Berry has made just four great picks in six drafts and several other useful selections while mostly failing to find value in the later rounds.
But his 2025 draft was clearly his best, so at least there’s that.
What Are Cleveland’s Priority Needs In 2026 NFL Draft?
The Browns have two first-round picks and three of the first 39 selections in this draft and badly need to hit on them to get their rebuild/turnaround moving forward.
Cleveland has needs all over the field and prioritized upgrading the offensive line in free agency, signing former Chargers left guard Zion Johnson (3 years, $49.5 million) and former Packers center Elgton Jenkins (2 years, $24 million), trading a fifth-round pick to the Texans for right tackle Tytus Howard and re-signing right guard Teven Jenkins (1 year, $4 million).
But left tackle Dawand Jones’ unreliability (and inconsistency) through his first three seasons — being limited to 11, 10 and 3 games due to injuries — leaves one big question up front, and there is a lot of buzz that the Browns could use one of their first-round picks to finish upgrading the offensive line.
They could snag one of the top tackles — with the general consensus on that being Miami’s Francis Mauigoa or Georgia’s Monroe Freeling — at No. 6. But draft analysts project anywhere from five to seven offensive tackles to be taken in the first round this year, so they would have intriguing options there at No. 24.
Cleveland also badly needs to upgrade a wide receiver corps that is led by Jerry Jeudy (50 catches for 602 yards and 2 TDs last season) and drops off precipitously from there with Isaiah Bond (18-338-0) and Cedric Tillman (21-270-2 in 13 games). Jeudy really isn’t a WR1, but he’d be a fine No. 2 if the Browns want to use the No. 6 pick to get one of the top WRs in the draft (Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, USC’s Makai Lemon and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson).
The Browns may feel set for now with Quinshon Judkins as their top RB (827 rushing yards and 4 TDs in 14 games last season but on just 3.6 YPC), but it will be interesting to see what they do if Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love is still on the board at No. 6. More likely, the Browns can use one of their Day 2 picks to snag a decent value at RB.
And, heck, what would stop this team from possibly taking Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson if he’s available at No. 24? Certainly not the lingering presence of Watson in the final year of his contract or Sanders.
Defensively, Cleveland probably doesn’t need to address the front seven at all in the first round of the draft — unless the Myles Garrett trade buzz and smoke turns into actual fire — but could look to add some more depth on the edge or at linebacker in later rounds.
The Browns are also solid atop the depth chart at safety with Ronnie Hickman and Grant Delpit (combined 192 tackles and 3 INTs in 2025) and have two locked-in starting cornerbacks (PFF ranked Tyson Campbell 31st out of 114 qualifying CBs, while Denzel Ward is still on a big contract the next two seasons). The team could probably stand to upgrade at nickel, but that might be a stretch for the first round.
So we’d rank the biggest needs as follows: WR, OT, QB, RB, CB/Nickel
Who Should The Cleveland Browns Take In First Round Of 2026 NFL Draft?
Now the fun part of this exercise — telling Berry how he should run his draft if he wants to save his job.
First, let’s survey five mock drafts from high-profile draft analysts before giving our own opinion on the matter.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr.: Georgia OT Monroe Freeling at No. 6, USC WR Makai Lemon at No. 24
ESPN’s Field Yates: Ohio State WR Carnell Tate at No. 6, Utah OT Caleb Lomu at No. 24
The Ringer’s Todd McShay: Tate at No. 6, Lomu at No. 24
NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah: Tate at No. 6, Lomu at No. 24
NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks: Tate at No. 6, Lomu at No. 24
That’s a near consensus!
If Cleveland could pull off the scenario that Kiper lays out, we’d sure advocate for it as the dropoff from Tate to Lemon is not that significant in our eyes. But we don’t think any of the top three WRs will still be available at No. 24, and it is the Browns’ biggest need.
So … not to be unoriginal, but yes, Cleveland should take Tate at No. 6. We’ve gone against the grain several times so far in our draft preview series, but not in this case.
Tate had 51 catches for 875 yards and 9 TDs in just 11 games last season for the Buckeyes, missing a month with an undisclosed injury before returning for the regular-season finale and postseason push. He did that while playing in the same offense as Jeremiah Smith, whom most consider the top WR in college football.
Tate averaged a robust 17.2 yards per catch — 15th among Power Four receivers — and per PFF’s count had zero drops all season.
Tate would transform Cleveland’s passing attack, although he can’t totally fix the team’s limitations/questions at quarterback, but with better protection up front and a true No. 1 WR to slide Jeudy to a more fitting secondary role the Browns would improve vastly after ranking 31st in passing (165.2 YPG) last season.
As for the No. 24 pick, it just comes down to what offensive tackles are still on the board.
Mauigoa, Freeling and Utah’s Spencer Fano (who may eventually end up at guard anyway) will definitely be gone by then.
Clemson’s Blake Miller and Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor might well be too, but there’s a lot of variance on the OT projections across the first round. Whether it’s one of those guys or Lomu, the Browns should indeed take the top remaining tackle on their board and finish off the OL makeover because it’s hard to trust Jones will make it through a full season when he has yet to do so.
The seventh offensive tackle with a chance to go in the first round is Arizona State’s Max Iheanachor, but he seems to be falling behind the rest of the pack leading up to the draft.
Again, if Alabama QB Ty Simpson is still on the board at No. 24, Cleveland could be tempted to take him and let him and Sanders battle it out (potentially behind Watson for one more year) and increase the chances of actually landing on a franchise QB.
But our guess is Simpson is gone by that point as his stock continues to rise leading up to the draft.
Offensive tackle is a sound play at No. 24.
