Browns Trade Pitch Sends No. 2 & More to Raiders

The Cleveland Browns hold the second overall pick in the NFL draft, but could decide to move on from it if they get an offer that’s too good to pass up.

The Browns’ cap situation is one of the worst in the NFL, and if there’s one thing the team needs, it’s young, controllable talent. Outside of drafting a franchise quarterback, which the Browns might not believe is available with the second pick, the Browns need to find a way to add young talent in more ways than just with that pick. 

In a proposed trade from Bill Barnwell of ESPN, they’d do just that with the Las Vegas Raiders. Barnwell had the Browns moving the second pick to the Raiders for the sixth overall pick and more.

Browns would get: No. 6, No. 37, 2026 fourth-round pick, TE Michael Mayer

Raiders get: No. 2, 2027 fifth-round pick (conditional) 

“The Browns undoubtedly want to add a star player with the No. 2 pick, but they need more cost-controlled talent across the board because of the aftereffects of the Watson trade. Moving down and adding extra picks makes sense, especially if they can add another 2026 selection. 

“By dropping down four spots, they could still draft an impact player at No. 6, land another top-40 pick and get a buy-low candidate in Mayer, who would pair well with David Njoku,” Barnwell wrote.

Why Should Browns Trade No. 2?

The Cleveland Browns have more than one reason to trade for more draft picks. However, if they have an opportunity to land Travis Hunter or Abdul Carter, which is guaranteed, why wouldn’t they go in that direction? 

After this trade, Barnwell had the Las Vegas Raiders drafting Hunter, for a similar reason to why the Browns should consider taking him. 

If he’s viewed as a franchise talent, Cleveland isn’t in a position to pass up on that. 

“For the Raiders, this is their chance to add a transcendent player. Travis Hunter is probably not making it to No. 6, and new coach Pete Carroll — a legendary defensive backs coach — has been know to defy positional value if there’s a player he really loves in the secondary,” Barnwell wrote.

Are Browns Fielding Calls?

The Cleveland Browns understand they have an asset, and if there’s pressure on anybody in the organization, it’s Andrew Berry. Berry hasn’t done anything to prove he still deserves a job, but has noted that he’s talking to teams about the second overall pick.

“I wouldn’t say anything out of respect to other teams about those type of discussions, but I’d say that we’re pretty open to anything that we think can be advantageous to us,” he said, per Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com.

While those conversations are happening, he added that the Browns like some of the players in the draft. Unless they believe they could take one of those players with the sixth overall pick, drafting who he wants should be his plan.

“I would say we’re still working through it,” Berry said. “There’s a bunch of players that we like at the top of the draft, and we continue to do our work on them, and I would say including quarterbacks. So, that’s part of what next week and the next couple weeks are about, figuring all that out.

“The good thing is we still have time. We have a month. It’s a big decision, so there’s no sense in rushing it. We’re going to use all the time that we have to make the best decision for the organization.”

Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.

This article was originally published on Heavy Sports

The post Browns Trade Pitch Sends No. 2 & More to Raiders appeared first on Heavy Sports.