Apr 24, 2026; Berea, OH, USA; Cleveland Browns first round draft picks Spencer Fano, left, and KC Concepcion hold their new jerseys during an introductory press conference at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images The NFL Draft is always a bit of a crapshoot, no matter how much people want to believe that certain teams or general managers have unlocked the secrets.But one area that might provide a window into how a team can succeed is its culture.That is according to Tim Derdenger, an associate professor of marketing and strategy at Carnegie Mellon’s Tepper School of Business, who argues that while data is important, having a draft room built on authenticity is the key:“The real goal is building a room where authenticity isn’t just welcomed—it’s expected.
If people censor themselves, you’re no longer making decisions with full information. Once your scouts start playing it safe with their reports, you’ve already lost. You’re essentially heading into the draft with a blind spot.
The danger isn’t just one bad decision. It’s the accumulation of poor decisions over time.”The Cleveland Browns are certainly well aware of the consequences of accumulating poor decisions when it comes to drafting or trading for players. One “big swing and a miss” or the wrong draft pick at the wrong position can set a franchise back for years.But that may have started to change this weekend as general manager Andrew Berry added 10 players in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Starting with left tackle Spencer Fano in Round 1 and ending with tight end Carsen Ryan in Round 7, Berry hit several areas of need on the roster and continued the transformation of what was one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season.No one knows how a draft class will pan out, and they certainly do not know on the morning after the draft ends. But grading a draft class is part of the fun, so let’s take a look at what the national media thinks of the work that Berry did over the past three days.Mel Kiper at ESPN: AThe Browns came into Thursday with two first-round picks (thanks to last year’s trade with the Jaguars, so Jacksonville could go up to No. 2 for Travis Hunter) and two big needs.
Would they go receiver at No. 6 and offensive tackle at No. 24? OT at No. 6 and WR at No. 24? Or would they completely shake things up and entertain a trade?They ended up going OT-WR … and then hitting both positions again on Day 2.
The Spencer Fano and Austin Barber picks could be the final touches on a complete offensive line rebuild this offseason. The Browns had 14 different offensive line combinations play at least 10 snaps last season, third most in the NFL. Then … everyone was gone.
Wyatt Teller signed with Houston, and Cam Robinson, Jack Conklin, Joel Bitonio, and Ethan Pocic are all still unsigned. In their place, Cleveland traded for Tytus Howard, re-signed Teven Jenkins, and brought in Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, in addition to getting Dawand Jones back from a knee injury.But this team needed a left tackle, and Fano could be a solution. He has spent the past two seasons on the right side, but he was an LT in 2023.
He stays square to pass rushers and has pop in his hands, but 32⅛-inch arms might ultimately force a move inside. I love that Cleveland was able to trade back, add picks, and still get one of the top two tackles in the class. Barber made the opposite change, going from the right side to the left during his college career.
He’s a great run blocker, but he gets beaten by power a lot in pass protection at 6-foot-7 and 318 pounds. I thought there were better options out there, and Cleveland having to trade up to get him made this pick a little questionable.At receiver, the Browns landed two of my top eight guys in the class. I have concerns about KC Concepcion’s drop issues (seven last season), but he has a nose for the end zone (25 career TDs) and averaged 15.1 yards per catch last season.
I said Denzel Boston would have been the right pick in Round 1 … and Cleveland got him in Round 2. Even though I would have flipped these two players value-wise, the Browns ended up with two really talented pass catchers. That’s critical.
The Browns’ WR room was at the bottom of the NFL in receptions (117), yards (1,467), and TDs (four) last season. Boston takes defenders out of the play with his 6-4 frame and routinely makes tough catches on balls thrown too high or too low. Like Concepcion, he had a healthy YPC in 2025 at 14.2, and he scored 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons.The major defensive addition was Emmanuel McNeil-Warren.
Just sheer value — my No. 33 prospect at No. 58. Take him out of Toledo and put him in a Power 4 uniform, and maybe he goes a little earlier. But I’m not worried about the quality of competition.
He flies to the football and generates turnovers (10 forced fumbles, five interceptions).Among the Day 3 picks, Parker Brailsford and Taylen Green stand out. Brailsford is yet another option fo