AFC North · 2026 Draft Class

Cleveland Browns 2026 NFL Draft Class

Every Browns selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, the needs they entered the weekend with, and the trades that reshaped their board.

Compiled by the NFL Mock Draft Simulator research desk · Front office at the time: Andrew Berry (GM), Todd Monken (HC)

The class

Cleveland Browns made 10 selections in the 2026 draft, opening with Spencer Fano, a offensive tackle out of Utah, at No. 9 overall.

The class skewed toward offensive tackle, where they used 2 picks. In total they drafted 7 different positions.

Going into the weekend our board had their priority needs listed as Offensive Tackle, Wide Receiver, Quarterback, Cornerback, Edge Rusher, Interior Offensive Line. They addressed 4 of their 6 pre-draft needs directly: Offensive Tackle, Wide Receiver, Quarterback, Interior Offensive Line. Left unaddressed: Cornerback, Edge Rusher.

Their best value relative to the consensus board was Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at No. 58, 36 slots later than the industry board had him ranked (22).

Draft capital

Browns draft capital broke down as 2 Day 1 picks, 3 on Day 2 and 5 on Day 3. 8 were slots they did not own when the weekend began, acquired by trade. Holding 2 first-round picks is the rarest and most valuable position in the draft, and it gives a front office the option to be aggressive without mortgaging the rest of the class.

Pick by pick

Every Browns selection, with where it landed against our consensus board and against their own pre-draft needs list.

• Round 1, No. 9: Browns took Spencer Fano, within 2 slots of his board ranking of 11. It was their single highest-priority need going in.
• Round 1, No. 24: Browns took KC Concepcion, within 3 slots of his board ranking of 27. Wide Receiver was their No. 2 listed need.
• Round 2, No. 39: Browns took Denzel Boston on Day 2, within 10 slots of his board ranking of 29. Wide Receiver was their No. 2 listed need.
• Round 2, No. 58: Browns took Emmanuel McNeil-Warren on Day 2, a board-rank 22 player who waited 36 slots past his board ranking to get there. Safety was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
• Round 3, No. 86: Browns took Austin Barber on Day 2, within 10 slots of his board ranking of 96. It was their single highest-priority need going in.
• Round 5, No. 146: Browns took Parker Brailsford on Day 3, within 14 slots of his board ranking of 132.
• Round 5, No. 149: Browns spent a late-round flier on Justin Jefferson, a board-rank 225 player. Linebacker was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
• Round 5, No. 170: Browns took Joe Royer on Day 3, a board-rank 134 player who fell 36 slots below where the consensus had him. Tight End was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.
• Round 6, No. 182: Browns took Taylen Green on Day 3, within 4 slots of his board ranking of 186. Quarterback was their No. 3 listed need.
• Round 7, No. 248: Browns spent a late-round flier on Carsen Ryan, a board-rank 324 player. Tight End was not on their priority needs list, a best-player-available call.

Pre-draft needs

Our needs assessment for the Browns going into the 2026 draft, ordered by priority. This is the list the class above is measured against.

Draft-day trades

• With Kansas City Chiefs: sent No. 6 (R1); received No. 9 (R1), No. 74 (R3), No. 148 (R5).
• With San Francisco 49ers: sent No. 70 (R3), No. 107 (R4); received No. 58 (R2), No. 152 (R5).
• With New York Giants: sent No. 74 (R3); received No. 105 (R4), No. 145 (R5).
• With Los Angeles Chargers: sent No. 105 (R4), No. 145 (R5), No. 206 (R6); received No. 86 (R3).
• With Denver Broncos: sent No. 152 (R5); received No. 170 (R5), No. 182 (R6).
• With Seattle Seahawks: sent No. 148 (R5); received nothing.

Related

• Round 1 results: every other pick made around the Browns' first selection.
• Position rankings for the groups they drafted: Offensive Tackle, Wide Receiver, Safety, Interior Offensive Line, Linebacker, Tight End, Quarterback.
• The 2026 consensus big board: where every one of these players ranked before the draft.
• Every trade from the 2026 draft: the full ledger, including the Browns' moves.
• Steals and reaches: which picks diverged most from the board, and what that gap means.
• The draft by the numbers: positional supply, school production and how draft capital was distributed.

More on the Browns

The Cleveland Browns franchise hub carries the current front office and needs, plus every other class we cover.