For the second straight year, general manager Andrew Berry and the Cleveland Browns are getting rave reviews for their performance in the NFL Draft. They made six trades, filled key roster needs, and refreshingly went with an offensive-heavy strategy that could lead to key confrontations on the grass when training camp arrives in July.
Cleveland made 10 total selections, and it’s not a stretch to say that half of them (at least) could either run with the first unit this summer, or carve out a major role by Week 1. When you include the Browns’ long list of talented second-year players in Carson Schwesinger, Mason Graham, Harold Fannin Jr., Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, and Shedeur Sanders — you have a projected 2026 roster that’s loaded with young talent and could surprise some people.
More than anything, the Browns’ latest NFL Draft haul put some veteran players on notice. If we’ve learned anything from the early stages of the Todd Monken era, it’s this: Year 1 will be all about competition, and if that’s not your thing, the 2026 Browns aren't your team.
With that in mind, here are the top winners and losers for the Browns following the 2026 draft.
The ripple effects from this Browns draft are already impossible to ignore
Winner: Andrew Berry
This was a masterclass from Berry. It started with a trade down the board from No. 6 overall that set the Browns up for their dream scenario, and the execution — highlighted by a Day 2 trade up for Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren — was impeccable. The Browns had as good a read on the board as any team in the NFL, and that’s a credit to Berry and the front office.
Losers: Everyone who predicted a Myles Garrett trade during draft weekend
As expected, all the pre-draft trade chatter on Myles Garrett was complete nonsense. The Browns only drafted two defensive players over the weekend — a defensive back and an inside linebacker.
It’s possible trade speculation resumes later this summer, which was always the most realistic timeframe in the unlikely event of a Garrett trade in 2026. The fact that Cleveland didn’t use a premium pick on a pass rusher all but screamed the quiet part out loud: He’s not going anywhere anytime soon. That was a tough three days for all the Garrett hot-take artists out there.
Winner: Shedeur Sanders
Yes, the Browns used a sixth-round dart throw on tantalizing Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green. What they didn’t do is use a premium selection on Ty Simpson or Carson Beck, and that’s a major win for Sanders — who was easily the biggest winner of the Browns’ 2026 approach.
Cleveland just drafted three offensive linemen, two wide receivers, and two tight ends. Sanders has a golden opportunity to prove himself to the new coaching staff this summer, with upgraded talent around him and the luxury of more reps with the first team. What he does with that opportunity is up to him, but Sanders couldn’t have drawn up a better start to the 2026 offseason.
Loser: Dillon Gabriel
That brings us to Gabriel — the quarterback whose future in Cleveland is most directly impacted by Green’s arrival. Berry told reporters that there’s potential for the team to keep all four quarterbacks on their roster this year. The elephant in the room? The Browns have only kept four quarterbacks on their initial 53-man roster once in Berry’s six years as GM, and the team clearly wanted to work with Green this offseason. Gabriel could find himself firmly on the roster bubble this summer.
Losers: Jerry Jeudy (and Cedric Tillman)
The quote of the weekend was Berry calling Jeudy the Browns’ “bell-cow” after his team spent a pair of top-40 draft picks on wide receivers Denzel Boston and KC Concepcion. To say he was laying it on a bit thick would be an understatement.
Last night, Browns GM Andrew Berry said the drafting of KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston have “zero impact” on WR Jerry Jeudy.
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) April 25, 2026
“He’s our bell cow. I think with receiver rooms you can have, maybe a ball dominant player or you can essentially build a basketball team with different… pic.twitter.com/zcKxa8vCII
Jeudy might’ve been the Browns’ most disappointing player in 2025. He turned only 50 of his 106 targets into catches, averaged a career-low 12 yards per reception, and took home $16 million in cash. The Browns have a fun battle brewing at wide receiver this summer, and if Jeudy can’t prove that he’s locked in and primed for a bounce-back season, he'd be an obvious August trade candidate.
As for Tillman? He’s one of the clear losers of this draft class. He just dropped from presumptive starter to No. 4 on the depth chart behind Jeudy, Concepcion, Boston, and Isaiah Bond. As a former undrafted rookie signing, Tillman’s $3.6 million base salary for 2026 is not guaranteed, per Over the Cap. He’ll be in a fight to keep his job this summer.
Winner: Todd Monken
Did we mention that the Browns used eight of their 10 draft selections on offensive players? Berry’s been receiving high praise, and rightfully so, but Monken’s fingerprints are all over this draft class.
The Browns drafted a bulldozing run blocker in tackle Spencer Fano, a bigger and slightly more physical version of Zay Flowers in Concepcion, and later scored the kind of dual-threat quarterback that Monken loves in Green. No coach in football is happier than Todd Monken right now.
Loser: Dawand Jones (and Teven Jenkins)
Jones was projected as the Browns starter at left tackle entering the draft, but with their additions of Fano and Austin Barber, the battle for that spot could come down to the 11th hour.
Add in Parker Brailsford, the center from Alabama, on Day 3, and it seems most likely that Jones enters Week 1 as the Browns’ swing tackle, with Teven Jenkins among the leaders of the second unit on the interior.
Winner: Elgton Jenkins
The decision to target one of the top centers in the aforementioned Brailsford was likely music to the ears of Elgton Jenkins, who likely would’ve been manning that spot for the Browns this year due to a lack of options. Jenkins’ best work with the Green Bay Packers came at left guard, and there’s now a clear path for him to take over that spot as the replacement for Joel Bitonio.
Loser: The Kansas City Chiefs
Browns fans should be sending thank-you cards to GM Brett Veach, head coach Andy Reid, and the entire Chiefs’ organization. The Browns were able to flip the return from their Day 1 trade with Kansas City into Fano, Barber, and a pair of mid-round picks in what’s expected to be a talent-rich 2027 draft. Berry and the Browns should be sure to pick up the phone whenever Veach calls going forward.
Loser: Myles Harden
Monken and the Browns are clearly working through the 2025 film and acting accordingly. It’s clear that the nickel spot on defense was an area where upgrades were needed.
Prior to the draft, the Browns added veteran Myles Bryant, who has experience playing in the slot and excels at defending the run. That may all be a moot point now after the team’s trade up for McNeil-Warren, who lined up all over the formation at Toledo, including over 200 snaps in the slot, per Pro Football Focus. If the Browns choose to go the more modern route of deploying three safeties, Harden’s role could be set to decline in 2026.
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