The Cleveland Browns and general manager Andrew Berry had one of, if not the best, classes in the 2026 NFL Draft.To kick off this year's draft, Berry made it clear that his primary focus would be on the offensive side of the ball, as four of the Browns' first five selections resided on that side of the ball. In addition to the successful first two days, Cleveland managed to land a replacement for veteran David Njoku on day three in Cincinnati tight end Joe Royer.However, this was not the end of Berry's efforts to acquire more offensive weapons in the draft.After taking a shot on Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green in the sixth round, the front office rounded out this year's classes with BYU's Carsen Ryan to complete the tight end room heading into the 2026 NFL season.How Ryan fits with the Browns in 2026 and beyondRyan, despite being featured in a loaded tight end class, was an underrated prospect in this year's draft cycle.
The talented playmaker struggled early in his college career to carve out a role with the UCLA Bruins and Utah Utes, ultimately leading him to transfer to BYU for his final season. This proved to be an excellent decision by Ryan, as he recorded 620 receiving yards and three touchdowns with the Cougars.Standing at 6-foot-4, 250 lbs., Ryan possesses a perfect combination of size and athleticism to find a role in the NFL. The 22-year-old pass catcher had a Relative Athletic Score of 9.28 out of 10, which is on par with Berry's typical strategy in the draft.#Browns seventh-round pick Carsen Ryan's RAS score, according to @MathBombLove the pick from Andrew Berry in the late rounds. pic.twitter.com/LIkJ0zWfpk— Dylan Feltovich (@dyfelt) April 26, 2026Looking at how Ryan will be used with the Browns in 2026 and beyond, his unique skill set will be a perfect fit to pair with 2025 third-round pick Harold Fannin Jr. and Royer.
The former BYU standout showed plenty of promise as a blocker, as he finished with a PFF run-blocking grade of 75.3. For the late-round selection to carve out a role in head coach Todd Monken's offense next season, he must continue to improve as a blocker, since Monken tends to favor multiple tight ends on the field at once.This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: How Carsen Ryan fits with Browns, Todd Monken in 2026 and beyond