The Cleveland Browns traded up for the second time on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, this time agreeing to a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers for pick No. 86 overall. The Browns surrendered pick Nos. 105, 145, and 206 for the opportunity.
With that selection, they opted to draft 6-foot-7, 318-pound offensive tackle Austin Barber out of the University of Florida.
The former Gator was a five-year player down in Gainesville, racking up 50 appearances in the process. He is a rare specimen as an athlete, something made abundantly clear by his 9.81 Relative Athletic Score (RAS). That score places 33rd out of 1,645 offensive tackles since 1987.
Despite his ranking as the No. 149 player on Pro Football Focus' Big Board, that had little to do with his performance in 2025. His 83.5 grade ranked 13th in the country out of 613 qualifying tackles. While he is undoubtedly a raw prospect, he represents the exact kind of player worthy of a gamble by Andrew Berry.
Austin Barber is exactly the kind of high-upside gamble Andrew Berry loves
While the offensive line doesn't necessarily possess a clear opening, Barber will be able to compete with — and learn from — NFL veterans Elgton Jenkins and Tytus Howard. He has position flexibility and will be welcomed as high-upside depth going into 2026.
Dane Brugler of The Athletic projects Barber as a future guard in the NFL, which could make sense as the Browns passed on a pair of intriguing interior offensive linemen in Iowa's Gennings Dunker and Oregon's Emmanuel Pregnon.
"Barber has NFL size, tools and demeanor but needs to polish his timing and technique to hold up against next-level competition," Brugler wrote in his 2026 draft guide. "He is a developmental swing tackle prospect, who might be better suited for a move to guard."
One could also surmise that Berry felt the need to snag his guy after another developmental tackle who had garnered plenty of Browns interest, Markel Bell, went off the board early in the third round. Ironically, he went to the Philadelphia Eagles. The overlapping interest shouldn't surprise anyone, considering Andrew Berry's roots.
The Browns struggled mightily in 2025 along their offensive line, and the injury luck they experienced wasn't very, well, lucky. Andrew Berry has evidently learned his lesson, refusing to allow the Browns to fall into the same predicament again. This should be a welcome development for the faithful members of the Dawg Pound.
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