By almost every objective and subjective measure, the Cleveland Browns aced the 2026 NFL Draft, at least on paper. Of course, it's still way too early to tell, but according to projections, the Browns landed at least four potential first-round picks with their first four selections.
General manager Andrew Berry added 10 rookies during the three-day event, with the majority of them potentially being Week 1 starters. As such, every major outlet and even the biggest Browns detractors had no choice but to give the front office their flowers for their performance.
That's why it makes no sense to see Cleveland still getting no love.
In FanSided's updated NFL power rankings, Cody Williams bumped the Browns from No. 31 to No. 30 after the NFL Draft. It just doesn't add up.
The Browns still get no love despite their epic draft haul
Expecting a bunch of rookies to turn a franchise around overnight is wishful thinking. That said, how does landing four top-30 prospects not give this team a bigger bump in the power rankings?
Per Williams, only the Arizona Cardinals and Miami Dolphins are in a worse position following the draft than the Browns. That means even the New York Jets, the same team that will start Geno Smith at quarterback and traded its two best defensive players last season, are currently ahead of them.
The Browns simply feel like a victim of their own reputation and past failures. It feels like the national media will never give them the benefit of the doubt.
To be fair, this organization has found multiple ways to shoot itself in the foot time and time again. Not even the blockbuster Deshaun Watson trade was enough to bring the Browns back to contention. Every year should be analyzed in a vacuum, though, and Cleveland has been undergoing a roster overhaul since March.
That's also partly why Kevin Stefanski won two Coach of the Year awards in Berea. Sometimes it feels like anyone who does a good job in Cleveland has to be some sort of guru.
Todd Monken has plenty of heavy lifting to do. He doesn't only have to beat the opponent, but also the countless years of negative media attention and mockery that preceded him.
Still, he's already said it: Winning is the only way to turn those narratives around.
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