Six years ago, the Cleveland Browns hired Andrew Berry to serve as their general manager. His most notable move was trading for disgruntled Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, a bold move that set the organization back for almost half a decade.
During that span, and with no first-round selections, Berry's track record in the NFL Draft was questionable at best. He had to constantly make moves to fix self-inflicted issues, and it's safe to say that he wasn't much of a fan favorite in Northeast Ohio.
However, that sentiment is starting to change. Berry has aced the Browns' last two draft classes, and it's starting to become painfully evident that he may have never been the problem in Cleveland.
The Browns’ recent draft surge may be tied to a major change behind the scenes
Browns owner Jimmy Haslam leans heavily on analytics, so he hired a numbers guru to help spearhead his operation. Since 2016, no one really knew what Paul DePodesta did for the Browns. All we knew was that he was a former baseball executive with a knack for analytics.
DePodesta infamously helped orchestrate the Watson deal, a deal now considered one of the worst transactions in professional football history. The move cost the team its future for years, and DePodesta's influence and input on draft selections didn't do anything to help dig the organization out of that sizable hole.
Then, in 2025, the Browns finally had a first-round selection, and Berry took control of the operation. As a result, the team had the best rookie class in the league by a significant margin, all while adding more draft capital for 2026.
With DePodesta gone, having returned to Major League Baseball, there was some skepticism about Berry's ability to work his magic again. This year's draft class was predicted to pale in comparison to 2025, and Berry's overall track record was, again, far from encouraging.
But Berry delivered, teaming up with assistant GM Catherine Hickman to deliver the best draft class in the league, including four projected first-round prospects in the first two rounds. His redemption arc is officially here, and he may not have been the problem that fans thought he was. The real problem may no longer be in the building.
At the very least, Berry has earned the benefit of the doubt and the right to see this project through. You can see his vision, and he's operating as someone with an eye on the future and who knows it will take some time to round out the roster.
For the first time since he got there, it looks like the Browns have an actual plan and direction.
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