Every Browns fan in the world had a pretty good idea where the team would go in the 2026 NFL Draft. Andrew Berry telegraphed his moves by leaving two gaping holes on the roster that made predicting their selections easier than it would typically be, at least in terms of which positions they would address.
Conventional wisdom prevailed when they opted for offensive tackle Spencer Fano with their first pick and wide receiver KC Concepcion with their second selection. The first real curveball came with their second-round pick, No. 39, when they opted to double-dip at the receiver position with Washington's Denzel Boston.
A player that the Browns surely considered at No. 24 was falling and ultimately proved too tempting to pass up. It's not as if the Browns only needed one receiver. The dearth of talent at the position was woefully evident as each quarterback who was thrown to the wolves in 2025 suffered a similar fate.
In his post-draft 'Execs Unfiltered' piece, The Athletic's Mike Sando solicited opinions from anonymous high-level decision-makers, and it was only the decision to opt for Boston that drew some ire from the nameless, faceless peanut gallery.
"[Selecting Denzel Boston after nabbing KC Concepcion] was odd," [an] exec told Sando. “They are unsettled at the quarterback position, but they took two wideouts? Build your defense and run game.”
The backlash to the Browns’ Denzel Boston pick misses the point
It's a sound strategy for NFL teams to build their defense and their run game, to be sure. The only problem as it relates to the Browns is, uh, the fact that they did that already. The vast majority of resources spent by Andrew Berry in the free agency period came in fortifying the offensive line that had fallen into ruin.
In adding Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson as free agents, trading for the Houston Texans' Tytus Howard, and opting to re-sign Teven Jenkins, the Browns plugged hole after hole. By selecting Spencer Fano at No. 9, they arguably completed their offensive line, which is, of course, an integral part of the run game.
The Browns' running back room features two extremely young, second-year players in Quinshon Judkins (22) and Dylan Sampson (21), each of whom displayed tangible potential as rookies. The run game seems to be in good hands.
As far as the defense goes, it was the only unit of the 2025 Browns that did anything close to pulling its weight. What's more, they return the entire group of starters, save for Devin Bush, who was replaced with a comparable player in Quincy Williams. The Browns also opted to trade up for Day 2's biggest draft steal in safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who was selected 38 spots after his consensus big board ranking.
The Browns are building their offense the right way this time around
We understand it's hard to give the Browns praise after a fruitless few seasons, but the decision to draft Denzel Boston seemed like a pipe dream only possible on mock draft software before draft day. The fact that the Browns were able to pair two highly-touted receiver prospects together at the start of their careers is a boon that Cleveland desperately needed.
Wide receiver has become one of the priciest positions in the league, a development that kept the Browns out of treacherous free agent waters when it came to addressing the position. The Dolphins' asking price for Jaylen Waddle also seemed prohibitive, and Andrew Berry exercised restraint. When it came time to pull the trigger, Berry acted with conviction, and Browns fans should be ecstatic about it.
The Browns' receiving corps is undoubtedly better than it was just two weeks ago, a needed change for whichever player winds up winning the offseason's quarterback competition. The understated benefit is that the rookies will have a chance to learn the ropes this year and provide a top-tier environment for a rookie signal-caller should the Browns go down that road in 2027.
The future is bright in Cleveland. For those who can't see it, it's simply a matter of what they want to see. Make no mistake about it: the Browns' arrow is pointed firmly up.
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