B-
Cleveland Browns
A sensible, unshowy class lands the Browns a B-.
by Kenny proctor ·
2026 NFL Draft
· 9 picks
· 2 steals
· 2 reaches
The Browns' one glaring miss is edge rusher, a need they left exactly as they found it.
That Thomas pick is the receipt they will wave around later. Reaching for Allar left real value on the table behind him. They left with quarterback solved and the rest of the wish list mostly ticked off.
Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.
In sum, a sturdy weekend with one asterisk, the edge rusher spot they never got to.
Pick-by-Pick
Kadyn Proctor at the 6th pick jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It shores up a spot that genuinely needed the help.
In Round 1, Pick 24 they get a true top target at fair value. The biggest hole, addressed.
A straight-up fair deal on Emmanuel Pregnon at No. 39, value and slot in agreement. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Value with a capital V on Jadarian Price in the 70th overall pick, a genuine coup. Another box on the needs board, quietly ticked.
Good price on Malik Muhammad in pick No. 107, a hair ahead of his grade with no real quibbles. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Drew Allar at the Round 5 slot is a conviction pick that outran the value. A glaring weakness, addressed head on.
Chris McClellan at pick 149 nudges the ledger their way without any fuss. A need, and now a little less of one.
Justin Jefferson at slot 206 is neither steal nor reach, just the going rate. Useful body for a position without much behind the starter.
Zavion Thomas slid further than he should have, and pick No. 248 is lovely value for the wide receiver. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.