The Cleveland Browns are armed with two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the team has plenty of needs to address.
Cleveland has the sixth-overall pick and the 24th overall pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars as part of last year’s Draft Day trade. The Browns have been linked to selecting an offensive lineman and a wide receiver, but theScore’s Dan Wilkins latest mock draft has Cleveland using a unique strategy.
Wilkins has the Browns taking offensive tackle Spencer Fano out of Utah with the sixth overall pick.
“Cleveland’s offensive line is in shambles, as all five starters from this season are headed to free agency,” Wilkins wrote. “And with a dire cap situation, the Browns probably can’t expect to bring many of those players back. This draft class needs to focus on rebuilding the trenches. Fano, a consensus All-American, fills one spot at tackle. Could Cleveland double up with another pick later in the first round?”
After taking Fano sixth overall, Wilkins has the Browns selecting an offensive lineman, Caleb Lomu, out of Utah as well.
“Doubling down on offensive linemen is the least the Browns could do to lay a strong foundation for their future quarterback,” Wilkins added. “After landing Fano to fill one tackle spot at No. 6, Cleveland scoops up his Utah teammate to lock down the other side. Lomu, a two-year starter at left tackle, didn’t give up a sack in the final season of his college career.”
The Browns using both of their first-round picks on offensive linemen would be a surprising strategy. However, Cleveland does need to overhaul their O-line, so perhaps it is something the Browns will do.
Browns HC Believes O-Line is a Work in Progress
Cleveland has plenty of intriguing holes to fix, but the offensive line is one of the major ones.
New Browns head coach Todd Monken admitted both the offensive line and the wide receivers group are works in progress.
“Well, it’s kind of a work in progress,” Monken said. “It’s kind of hard right now because right now we’re spending the majority of our time on building an elite staff. I mean that’s really what we’re doing right now.
“There’ll be time for me to really get a chance to assess the receiver room. Most of it’s been from afar, and same with the offensive line, and how we’re going to construct the roster moving forward, especially offensively.”
The Browns have offensive linemen Wyatt Teller, Joel Bitonio, Cam Robinson, and Teven Jenkins as pending free agents.
Cleveland Has a Young Team
The Browns enter the offseason with plenty of holes, but plenty of cap space and draft picks to address them.
However, Browns general manager Andrew Berry said the team is expecting to be one of the youngest teams in the NFL.
“That’s just what we’re projecting based on the amount of draft resources we have and then probably just anticipated activity and free agency – that combined with having a very young defense, we would anticipate that we’d be a very young team. We’re not necessarily going to be in the phase where we’re going to sign, you know, a bunch of mid-30s veterans to like put us over the top, so to speak.
“That doesn’t mean that we’re not going to participate in free agency or participate with veteran players. But the reality of having, you know, 10 selections, eight that are in the top 150 and already a very young defense and with pretty heavy investment on offense, in most worlds, we’re probably going to be one of the younger teams in the league.”
The Browns have 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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