Football is a young man's game. A prospect's age is inextricably tied to his college tape when NFL teams are evaluating players they may be looking to draft. The line of thinking is pretty straightforward: younger players have more room to develop and improve, while older ones may be close to reaching their ceiling.
Heck, some of the draft's youngest players, including 20-year-old first-round picks Jeremiyah Love, Arvell Reese, Francis Mauigoa, and Kadyn Proctor, may not even be done growing yet. There's a tangible upside to drafting younger. On the other hand, the newish college football landscape that allows players to be (rightfully) compensated for their contributions has led to an unmistakable trend in the draft: older prospects.
Roughly 14% of 2026 draft picks were 24 years old or older. Baltimore Ravens general manager Eric DeCosta bemoaned the new reality just a few weeks before the draft, stating:
"There is a changing dynamic we’ve seen with the draft," DeCosta said. “Players are older. The average age of the players is not necessarily older, but there are older players in the draft. We’re seeing more 24 and 25-year-old players. That’s problematic for us because if guys are coming in older they’ve probably got less upside. They’re not three-contract players in some cases, they’re two-contract players. And in some cases they’ve got more injuries. They’ve been playing college football longer so they’ve taken on more injuries.”
With all of that in mind, Browns fans may be curious about how Andrew Berry approached the draft from an age standpoint. Well, you're in luck. In gathering the ages of each team's draft class, we were able to determine the Browns' average draft pick age at 22.2 years old, which ranked 18th in the league.
Browns’ average draft age reveals a team caught between long-term development and win-now urgency
The NFL's five oldest classes belong to the Rams, 49ers, Chargers, Jaguars, and Seahawks. A common thread between those teams is that they all made the playoffs in 2025 and presumably view themselves as contenders for the Super Bowl in 2026. From that perspective, it makes sense that they are prioritizing players who may not have as much upside but are ready to contribute now.
Conversely, the five youngest classes — Cardinals, Giants, Jets, Titans, and Commanders — are all teams that were picking in the top 10 this year. They are in the process of building a foundation to hopefully reach contender status, so it makes sense that they're prioritizing players with plenty of room to grow.
This brings us to the Browns, whose placement right around the middle may seem curious. Cleveland has been much closer, in terms of success in recent years, to those teams with the five youngest classes, after all. When viewed through the right lens, it makes perfect sense.
Back-to-back excellent draft classes notwithstanding, Andrew Berry's seat is unmistakably warm. It was a mild surprise to see him outlast Kevin Stefanski in Cleveland's latest housecleaning, but the messaging was clear. Few NFL executives can survive consecutive sub-six-win seasons, and if the Browns find themselves back at the top of the draft order come 2027, Berry may be out of a job.
Enter the tricky balancing act. By adding players with unmistakable youth, such as 21-year-olds Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion early, the Browns are betting on development and improvement. With Day 3 picks like Taylen Green (23), Justin Jefferson (23), and Joe Royer (24), the Browns are adding experienced depth that, ostensibly, would fare better early should they be pressed into action.
On the surface, it appears to be a prudent approach. Swinging for the fences in the early rounds and just worrying about getting on base in the late rounds is a sensible approach. What remains to be seen is whether this development will lead to changes on the field. With the Dawg Pound's trademark optimism peaking, the Browns just might answer the call.
Add us as a preferred source on Google