2026 NFL Draft Grade: Cleveland Browns -- B+

The Cleveland Browns entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear set of marching orders. Wide receiver was a critical hole behind an aging Amari Cooper, offensive tackle was a glaring vulnerability after Dawand Jones' injury history made the left side unreliable, and the quarterback room -- despite Deshaun Watson's presence on the roster and Shedeur Sanders' arrival last year -- lacked a dynamic young option with long-term upside. Andrew Berry had the ammunition to move around the board, and he used it aggressively.

The result is a 10-pick class that lands somewhere between "statement haul" and "bet on the board falling your way." The first two picks are home runs. The middle rounds bring a mix of extraordinary value and head-scratching reaches. And the late rounds produce a quarterback who might end up being the story of this draft class in three years. Let's break it all down.

Pick 9 (Round 1) -- Spencer Fano, OT, Utah Grade: A (86.0)

The Browns traded up from their original slot to land Fano, and the move makes perfect sense when you look at the need. Left tackle was the single most critical issue on this roster. The Utah product was widely viewed as a top-five talent by most draft boards, so getting him at No. 9 with a modest trade up represents a clean win for Berry. Fano has the kind of lateral quickness and anchor strength that fits what offensive coordinator Travis Switzer wants to do in the zone-based run game. He steps in as the immediate starter on the blind side, pushing Tytus Howard back to a swing role or right tackle competition. This is the kind of foundational piece the Browns have lacked up front since Joe Thomas hung it up.

Pick 24 (Round 1) -- KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M Grade: A+ (96.0)

This one stings the grade model in a good way. Concepcion was sitting there at No. 24 after the Browns acquired the pick from Jacksonville, and the value is enormous -- most evaluators had him in the top 12 players in this class. Getting a receiver with his combination of explosive playmaking and route-running polish at the back end of the first round is the kind of move that can reshape an offense. The Browns desperately needed a dynamic threat opposite Cooper, and Concepcion gives them exactly that. He can work from the slot or the perimeter, creates separation at the top of his routes, and has the after-catch juice to turn short throws into chunk gains. This is the best pick in the class on a value-adjusted basis.

Pick 39 (Round 2) -- Denzel Boston, WR, Washington Grade: B (71.0)

Here's where the arithmetic gets interesting. After landing Concepcion, the Browns doubled down at receiver by taking Boston early in the second round. Boston is a productive player with a huge catch radius and a knack for winning contested balls in the Pac-12, but most boards had him closer to the late second or early third round. The need was real -- the receiver room beyond Cooper and Concepcion was thin -- and Boston gives the Browns a different body type at the position. Still, the grade reflects that this was a modest reach relative to where most analysts had him pegged. The B grade is fair: good player, good fit, but the Browns left a little value on the table.

Pick 58 (Round 2) -- Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo Grade: A (85.0)

This is where the analytics department earns its paycheck. McNeil-Warren was viewed as a top-22 player by most draft analysts, and the Browns scooped him up at No. 58 after another trade, this time with San Francisco. That's a massive value gap. He's a versatile safety who can play deep, rotate down into the box, and match up with tight ends in coverage. With Grant Delpit and Ronnie Hickman holding down the safety room, McNeil-Warren gives defensive coordinator Mike Rutenberg a chess piece who can create matchup issues. The need was moderate, but when a player of this caliber falls to the bottom of the second round, you take him and figure it out.

Pick 86 (Round 3) -- Austin Barber, OT, Florida Grade: A (86.0)

Another clean value pick. Barber was ranked right around where he was selected, so this is a fair-value swing at a premium position. He has starting experience at both tackle spots in the SEC and brings the kind of competitive toughness the Browns value up front. With Fano locking down the left side, Barber projects as a swing tackle who could push for the right tackle job if the team moves on from aging veterans. The offensive line needed an infusion of youth, and the Browns got two tackles in the first three rounds who can compete for playing time immediately.

Pick 146 (Round 5) -- Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama Grade: A (85.0)

This is another exceptional value play. Brailsford was widely projected as a top-100 player, and the Browns grabbed him at pick 146. That's a 50-slot value gap. He started at center for Alabama and has the athleticism to fit the wide-zone concepts the Browns lean on. The interior line has some age questions with Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, and Brailsford gives the team a young, technically sound option who could push for starting reps by Year 2. Outstanding value in the fifth round.

Pick 149 (Round 5) -- Justin Jefferson, LB, Alabama Grade: C- (53.0)

This is the first real swing-and-miss of the class. Jefferson is a productive linebacker from Alabama with good size and instincts, but most boards had him as a late-round to priority free agent. Taking him at 149, when higher-graded players at the same position were still available, is a reach. The need at linebacker was high -- the room is improved but lacks a true three-down difference-maker -- but the pick grade reflects that the Browns could have addressed it with better value later.

Pick 170 (Round 5) -- Joe Royer, TE, Cincinnati Grade: C- (53.0)

Another Day 3 pick where the value math doesn't work in Cleveland's favor. Royer is a solid tight end with in-line blocking ability and enough receiving chops to be a No. 2 option, but he was projected as a sixth- or seventh-rounder by most evaluators. The Browns need a second tight end to complement David Njoku, and the room is thin, so the need makes sense. But the grade takes a hit because the team could have waited a round or tackled the position at better value.

Pick 182 (Round 6) -- Taylen Green, QB, Arkansas Grade: A+ (100.0)

This is the sleeper of the draft. Green was a top-120 player by most draft analysts, and the Browns got him at No. 182. That's a 65-slot value gap. He's an athletic, dual-threat quarterback with a live arm who lit up the SEC at times. The Browns have Watson and Sanders on the roster, but Green gives them a developmental project with real upside. If he develops, he could be a trade chip or a long-term option. The grade here is as high as it gets because the value is absurd.

Pick 248 (Round 7) -- Carsen Ryan, TE, BYU Grade: C- (53.0)

The final pick is another tight end, and the grade reflects a significant reach. Ryan was widely viewed as a priority free agent, and taking him in the seventh round when higher-graded players were available is a gamble. The need was real -- the tight end room is thin -- but the seventh round is where you swing for upside, and this one feels like a miss on the value axis.

Overall Grade: B+ (76.8)

This is a solid, aggressive class that gives the Browns exactly what they needed most. The first two picks are revelatory -- Spencer Fano fills the left tackle hole, and KC Concepcion gives the offense a legitimate No. 1 receiving threat. The second-round double of Denzel Boston and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren adds depth to a thin receiver room and a playmaker to the secondary.

The best pick of the class is Taylen Green at No. 182. Getting a quarterback with his physical tools 65 slots after most boards had him ranked is the kind of late-round steal that can define a draft class. If Green becomes anything close to a starter, this class looks even better in hindsight.

The worst pick is Justin Jefferson at No. 149. The linebacker need was real, but taking a player 71 slots ahead of his projected range with higher-graded players still on the board is a misstep.

In total, Berry traded up multiple times, attacked the team's critical and high needs with purpose, and found exceptional value in the first two rounds and again in the fifth and sixth. The Day 3 reaches at linebacker and tight end drag the overall number down, but the core of this class -- Fano, Concepcion, McNeil-Warren, Barber, Brailsford, and Green -- gives the Browns a foundation they can build on.

Grade: B+. A very good draft with some late-round blips that prevent it from being great.

Pick-by-Pick Summary