Draft so you can win more games

[Orion]

@dutch-oven said:

The Browns would trade to Dallas the #6, 24 and next years 5th rounder for the Cowboys #12, 20 and next year's 2nd rounder.

I might do that trade.  But if I was a Cowboy fan I wouldn't want a '27 second round pick to evaporate.

I'm still going with us not being able to move out of #6.

[Orion]

[Dutch Oven]

You know, I've focused so much on tackles that I think are legit Left Tackles in the NFL.

We still have the GM who took a college RT in Jed Wills to play LT for us.

All the top tackles could very well be in play. 

[Dutch Oven]

[gumby73]

Pro Days ending with updated prospect info...

• T Francis Mauigoa (PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 7)
  • 40-yard dash: 5.12 seconds
  • 10-yard split: 1.78 seconds
  • Vertical jump: 29 inches
  • Broad jump: 8 feet, 10 inches
  • Short shuttle: 4.59 seconds
  • Three cone: 7.70 seconds

Link here-- https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2026-nfl-draft-pro-day-schedule-results-tracker

[Flugel]

@dutch-oven said:

You know, I've focused so much on tackles that I think are legit Left Tackles in the NFL.

We still have the GM who took a college RT in Jed Wills to play LT for us.

All the top tackles could very well be in play. 

GREAT point!  He took Wills at #11 overall while joining a pretty big crowd of well paid pre-draft analysts that refused to look at what jumped out of Tristan Wirfs' inner chest at Iowa.  It's called WORK ETHIC and all it takes to find this out is merely asking the HC (and former Browns OL Coach Kirk Ferentz) what's Wirfs' essential ingredient to success?  Tampa knew which is why they ended up with the OTackle in that draft class that could make Pro Bowls at RT before making Pro Bowls at LT.

This prolly sounds like a lot of overcaffeinated jibberish about asking a College Coach about a player; but an Oklahoma State Coach once said "I was surprised the Browns weren't interested in asking any of our staff questions about Justin Gilbert regarding his character and work ethic."  He added something along the line of "we could have helped them avoid wasting this 1st round choice.

If Andrew Berry has not improved his ability to draft a reliable LT - I dare say it's hard for me to imagine him ever being capable of building the competitive offense of a contender.  Look, I WANT Berry to succeed for us to be able to enjoy our team.  It's finally put up or fed up time.

As tempting as Fano is - I'm gonna do the unpopular and go with Lomu as my guy at #6 and the best W on our doorstep at #24. 

[Flugel]

@gumby73 said:

Pro Days ending with updated prospect info...

• T Francis Mauigoa (PFF Predictive Big Board Rank: 7)
  • 40-yard dash: 5.12 seconds
  • 10-yard split: 1.78 seconds
  • Vertical jump: 29 inches
  • Broad jump: 8 feet, 10 inches
  • Short shuttle: 4.59 seconds
  • Three cone: 7.70 seconds

Link here-- https://www.pff.com/news/draft-2026-nfl-draft-pro-day-schedule-results-tracker

He's probably gonna be a great RT or OG for whoever drafts him Gumbs!   

[SdBacker80]

@flugel said:

GREAT point!  He took Wills at #11 overall while joining a pretty big crowd of well paid pre-draft analysts that refused to look at what jumped out of Tristan Wirfs' inner chest at Iowa.  It's called WORK ETHIC and all it takes to find this out is merely asking the HC (and former Browns OL Coach Kirk Ferentz) what's Wirfs' essential ingredient to success?  Tampa knew which is why they ended up with the OTackle in that draft class that could make Pro Bowls at RT before making Pro Bowls at LT.

This prolly sounds like a lot of overcaffeinated jibberish about asking a College Coach about a player; but an Oklahoma State Coach once said "I was surprised the Browns weren't interested in asking any of our staff questions about Justin Gilbert regarding his character and work ethic."  He added something along the line of "we could have helped them avoid wasting this 1st round choice.

If Andrew Berry has not improved his ability to draft a reliable LT - I dare say it's hard for me to imagine him ever being capable of building the competitive offense of a contender.  Look, I WANT Berry to succeed for us to be able to enjoy our team.  It's finally put up or fed up time.

As tempting as Fano is - I'm gonna do the unpopular and go with Lomu as my guy at #6 and the best W on our doorstep at #24. 

I don’t think Berry drafted Gilbert but I get your point. 

But I’ve given the thought that maybe he should give up drafting the WR and OL positions and turn over picks for guys like Wyatt Teller, Amari Cooper, etc.  

I want nothing to do with Lomu at 6.  If we like him….i would be working the phones with everyone from 7-15. And it wouldn’t shock be if he was available at 24 

[Flugel]

@sdbacker80 said:

I don’t think Berry drafted Gilbert but I get your point. 

But I’ve given the thought that maybe he should give up drafting the WR and OL positions and turn over picks for guys like Wyatt Teller, Amari Cooper, etc.  

I want nothing to do with Lomu at 6.  If we like him….i would be working the phones with everyone from 7-15. And it wouldn’t shock be if he was available at 24 

Yeah, like I said - I didn't think he would be popular at #6; and I understand people feeling that's a reach right now.  If he decided to come out next year as a Red Shirt Junior giving up ZERO sacks again or the year after - he'll be top 5 though. 

If we find out we still don't have a QB - it's going to remind us we wasted all 10 Pro Bowl Seasons of a HOF LT on an inability to draft a good QB.  Meaning?  We can all debate on different guys we all think we need most; but what will it ever matter without a legit NFL passing game? We've had QBs with 2 blind sides...

[Orion]

@sdbacker80 said:

I want nothing to do with Lomu at 6.  If we like him….i would be working the phones with everyone from 7-15. And it wouldn’t shock be if he was available at 24

I don't think that he makes it to 24.  But that doesn't mean that we should take him at 6.  And some people are talking about us liking Proctor at 6.  I think Lomu is better than Proctor.  

[Orion]

Fano played in 37 career games over three seasons at Utah and earned 35 starts, including 11 at left tackle and 24 at right tackle. Fano played 822 offensive snaps during the 2025 season and allowed only five pressures in pass protection – including zero sacks and zero hits to opposing pass rushers, according to PFF.

"Over 37 college games he's logged experience on both the left and right sides, which is exactly the kind of positional versatility that NFL teams covet," Frelund said. "His run blocking is equally impressive, ranking in the top 95^th percentile in both pass and run plays among all tackles last season. The floor here is very high."

Freeling spent three seasons at Georgia and appeared in 35 career games. He started 13 of 14 games played during the 2025 season and anchored an offensive line that ranked sixth in the SEC in scoring offense (32.07) and fifth total offense (402.4). Freeling took 739 offensive snaps at left tackle during the 2025 season and totaled just one sack allowed and five total pressures in pass protection, according to PFF.

"Georgia's Monroe Freeling is a high-upside left tackle prospect," Frelund said. "The Browns may not be able to afford to wait until pick 24 to find out if he's available. At 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds, his film improved as the 2025 season progressed, and I'm told he was working through injuries early on. Even accounting for that, he played nearly 750 snaps and allowed just five pressures in pass protection, surrendering only one sack and zero QB hits. When you consider that production came while he wasn't fully healthy, the ceiling on Freeling becomes a very compelling conversation."f the Browns use their first-round picks on other positions, or want to add depth in later rounds, 

Bell played two seasons at Miami in 2024 and 2025 after transferring from Holmes Community College where he spent the first two years of his collegiate career. While in Miami, Bell played in 28 career games. He totaled 826 offensive snaps during the 2025 season, and allowed nine total pressures in pass protection including zero sacks and one quarterback hit, according to PFF.

"Miami's Markel Bell is an intriguing option that could pay big dividends, and I mean big in every sense of the word because at 6-foot-9 and 347 pounds, Bell is a genuinely rare physical specimen," Frelund said. "He ranks no lower than the 96^th percentile among all draft prospects measured since 1999 across height, weight, arm length and wingspan. Over 826 snaps last season, he allowed just nine total pressures with zero sacks and only one QB hit. The measurables are massive and the production is intriguing."

[Orion]

[Dutch Oven]

[Dutch Oven]

[Orion]

The Browns have built something quietly on offense over the last two drafts. Harold Fannin Jr. emerged as a dynamic tight end. Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson give them a legitimate backfield. Adding a true No. 1 receiver would give whoever wins the quarterback competition an actual chance to succeed.

That is the argument for taking Tate at No. 6 and not overthinking it. The Browns do not need to find a solution for 10 positions in one pick. They need a weapon on the outside that changes what opposing defenses have to account for. Tate does exactly that.

[SdBacker80]

@orion said:

The Browns have built something quietly on offense over the last two drafts. Harold Fannin Jr. emerged as a dynamic tight end. Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson give them a legitimate backfield. Adding a true No. 1 receiver would give whoever wins the quarterback competition an actual chance to succeed.

That is the argument for taking Tate at No. 6 and not overthinking it. The Browns do not need to find a solution for 10 positions in one pick. They need a weapon on the outside that changes what opposing defenses have to account for. Tate does exactly that.

I wouldn’t be mad. You could make a case where they double down at the position in either the 2nd or 3rd round the position is very deep. I think it is group with draft boards that are probably wildly different for each team.  So waiting until the 2nd or 3rd round a team may get one of their top WR choices.

Tate and another top rookie with Fannin you have pass catchers set for a half decade.

But I could see Tate going to the Giants at 5. They lost Wandale and Nabers is coming off a knee and they found a QB.

Browns probably have it Tate and then Sadiq (I know he’s a TE) and then drop off.  I don’t think Sadiq is on their horizon at 6 though. 

if I had to force picks at 24 I’d go Offensive Tackle.  And there should be Great value with a WR and Center in rounds 3 and 4 respectively.  

[Orion]

@sdbacker80 said:

I wouldn’t be mad.

I want Fano or Tate.  We've addressed a lot on the OL and nothing to the WR's.  But LT is such an important position.  And I want badly to make Jones the swing tackle off the bench.  But the other side of me says, Tate is a good receiver in all facets.  Good size.  He's plenty fast enough (4.53 combine run doesn't define his talent).  Perhaps he's not GREAT...but he's got one helluva floor.  And then there's the storybook...Ohio State WR in round 1.  His jersey immediately becomes the #1 Browns jersey being sold.  Storybook pick = sexy pick.  The Lineman is not a sexy pick at all.  This is where Jimmuh comes in.  Jimmy likes the glitz, the spotlight being cast on him and his Browns.  Is Fano going to make any diving, leaping, contested, TD catches that gets replayed as a highlight?    Fortunately for me, I like either pick.    But if Tate is already picked then I think that removes Jimmuh and his glitz  from the equation.  Now, you might get your defensive player picked.

[SdBacker80]

@orion said:

I want Fano or Tate.  We've addressed a lot on the OL and nothing to the WR's.  But LT is such an important position.  And I want badly to make Jones the swing tackle off the bench.  But the other side of me says, Tate is a good receiver in all facets.  Good size.  He's plenty fast enough (4.53 combine run doesn't define his talent).  Perhaps he's not GREAT...but he's got one helluva floor.  And then there's the storybook...Ohio State WR in round 1.  His jersey immediately becomes the #1 Browns jersey being sold.  Storybook pick = sexy pick.  The Lineman is not a sexy pick at all.  This is where Jimmuh comes in.  Jimmy likes the glitz, the spotlight being cast on him and his Browns.  Is Fano going to make any diving, leaping, contested, TD catches that gets replayed as a highlight?    Fortunately for me, I like either pick.    But if Tate is already picked then I think that removes Jimmuh and his glitz  from the equation.  Now, you might get your defensive player picked.

We went unsexy last year.  No Hunter and trade back for an interior clogger. 

[Orion]

@sdbacker80 said:

We went unsexy last year.  No Hunter and trade back for an interior clogger. 

Yes.  But the plan was to set themselves up for one of the great QB's that will be coming out the following year.  Which was this year, and there's no batch of great QB's.  That, of course, could be the plan again.  Except that this year Jimmy has promised to focus on the offense.  I just don't like/trust Jimmy and his potential/probable draft pick influencing.

[SdBacker80]

@orion said:

I want Fano or Tate.  We've addressed a lot on the OL and nothing to the WR's.  But LT is such an important position.  And I want badly to make Jones the swing tackle off the bench.  But the other side of me says, Tate is a good receiver in all facets.  Good size.  He's plenty fast enough (4.53 combine run doesn't define his talent).  Perhaps he's not GREAT...but he's got one helluva floor.  And then there's the storybook...Ohio State WR in round 1.  His jersey immediately becomes the #1 Browns jersey being sold.  Storybook pick = sexy pick.  The Lineman is not a sexy pick at all.  This is where Jimmuh comes in.  Jimmy likes the glitz, the spotlight being cast on him and his Browns.  Is Fano going to make any diving, leaping, contested, TD catches that gets replayed as a highlight?    Fortunately for me, I like either pick.    But if Tate is already picked then I think that removes Jimmuh and his glitz  from the equation.  Now, you might get your defensive player picked.

Fano played some LT in 2023. He was put through snapping drills at the combine he played RT last year.  He has some questionable arm wingspan measurements at tackle.  For a guy being thought off in so many different positions that’s a tough sell for me in the Top 10.  Perhaps he’s good at all the positions - is being good…enough at 6 overall?  I think we find a good at LT at 24.  Maybe too early to tell but I don’t see All Pro caliber offensive lineman in this draft.  

We can’t take a QB (hopefully we don’t take Simpson) I’ve been on Downs since the start of the draft process.  I look at him as QB on defense.  And Similar to JOK making  plays in the backfield but of course back side coverage skills maybe allowing the defense to play more aggressively and erasing mistakes on the backend.  Weakness?  Maybe size.  If he’s uncharacteristically late in diagnosing a play do taller targets make plays over him.  Hes extremely intelligent. 7-8 years from now does he say the wear and tear of the league ain’t worth it - I’ll move into a front office of an NFL team.  Trying to take of my Scarlett colored glasses there is a lot great things about the player and pick and perhaps the fewest questions when we are on the clock at 6. 
 

We could come away with a starting LT and Center in this draft and still take Downs at 6.   We would also have a crack at a WR near the top of board in the second round.