The talk of the town, so to speak, regarding the Cleveland Browns' needs in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft revolves around finding talent to help improve the team’s offense. The Browns' defense is considered their greatest strength. At the moment, the team has nine picks in the draft. Many mock drafts have the Browns centering their attention on offensive players at the wide receiver or offensive line positions.
We know the Browns understand they need to address the offense, but we also know they will seek out good defensive talent. Even with that being the team's strength, one should always want to make a good thing even better.
With that in mind, several different mock drafts are projecting that the Browns lock in on the defense in the middle rounds of the draft. More specifically, multiple experts have them targeting a linebacker from the Pittsburgh Panthers named Kyle Louis.
ESPN’s Matt Miller, Cody Williams of Fansided, and NFL Tankathon all have Cleveland choosing Louis at pick No. 70 overall (early third round). Louis has had an excellent collegiate career, racking up big seasons statistically and looking like he’ll be ready to move into the NFL and wreak havoc there, too. Â
Kyle Louis keeps getting projected to the Browns on Day 2 (and it’s not a coincidence)
The Browns took new linebacker Carson Schwesinger at pick No. 33 to start the second round of last year's NFL Draft, and that move has paid off well for the team. Schwesinger led the team in tackles and seemingly was everywhere on the field of play. Schwesinger was a bit of a wild card in some regard when he was drafted, as he was a walk-on at UCLA.
The Browns are a bit thin in the linebacker room. Besides Schwesinger, the team picked up Quincy Williams in free agency this offseason. The Browns' former starting linebacker, Devin Bush, left in free agency, thus the need to find a replacement quickly. Williams had most recently played for the New York Jets as a starting linebacker. The Browns' other veteran linebacker, Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, has been injured for the past two seasons with a serious neck injury, and his future football career is still unknown.
Now more than ever, the Browns need a player like Louis. His career at Pittsburgh was solid, especially in his sophomore campaign when he tallied 101 tackles, including 15.5 for losses and seven sacks. He followed that season this year with 81 tackles, 8.5 for losses, and three sacks. He added six interceptions between those two seasons as well.Â
The former New Jersey native is a bit undersized for his position (6-feet, 220 pounds) but his skill set more than makes up for his size. He has run a 4.53 at his most recent 40-yard dash. He’s got a knack for the ball and makes instinctive decisions on the field.
With the Browns having a strong front four on the defense, like Myles Garrett, Maliek Collins, and Mason Graham, the linebacker role for a new player like Louis would be ideal. Louis could use his instincts and speed at the position to help the Browns against the opponents' run game. His ability in pass coverage also stands out on film. With his smaller stature, he almost looks like a cornerback in coverage.Â
A year ago, the Browns took a bit of a gamble on Schwesinger early in the draft, but it paid off, as he produced at a high level for the team. Louis checks off a lot of the same boxes that Schwesinger did when he came out of college. Louis may not be as polished or ready to produce like Schwesinger already did for Cleveland, but having an additional ball hawk and instinctive player like Louis would certainly make the Browns' defensive unit even better.