Ever since Andrew Berry was hired by the Cleveland Browns, the term "analytics" has followed him around in just about every conversation. Due to his Ivy League background as a Harvard grad, as well as cutting his teeth under Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman, it has been a foregone conclusion that he is a football nerd. In fact, some of his detractors love to point out that games are not won on spreadsheets.
In any case, one of the tenets of analytics in sports, particularly as it relates to the NFL Draft, is hoarding draft picks. The thinking makes a ton of sense. In fact, we dove into the numbers ourselves. Trading up is usually a fool's errand, as roughly two-thirds of trade-ups in the first round over the last 10 years in our study have benefited the team moving down. Nonetheless, maneuvering around the board is important, particularly when it comes to players a team has conviction in.
For just the third and fourth times in his five-year tenure, Berry bucked the analytical trend, opting to trade up in both the second and third rounds to acquire Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber, respectively. Time will tell if the decisions are justified, but as things stand right now, it appears that Berry is working with some desperation that we haven't seen before.
Andrew Berry’s rare trade-ups show a shift Browns fans can’t ignore
The most recent trade-up will be easy for Browns fans to remember, as it was just last year when the team moved up in the fifth round to select quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The simple fact that he's in contention to be the Browns' starter in 2026 already makes him a successful fifth-round pick.
The one before that came when Berry traded up for a fellow hyphenated last-name defender Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah in 2021. Browns fans are hoping that the immediate impact displayed by JOK is a shared development with their newest defender — minus the career-threatening injury, of course. By filling run lanes with ferocity, covering tight ends, and being an overall enforcer at all levels of the field, it could be a match made in heaven.
As for Austin Barber, his path to immediate playing time is murkier. That doesn't diminish his value as a high-potential player at a premium position. In 2025, the Browns were caught flat-footed when injury struck their offensive line. That won't be the case in 2026, and Barber is a large (figurative and literal) reason why.
The 6-foot-7, 318-pounder could wind up pairing with first-round pick Spencer Fano as the team's offensive tackle duo of the future if things break the right way. If Andrew Berry's historic trade-ups are any indication, this duo may just become difference-makers as well.
Add us as a preferred source on Google