It's hard to find a worse offensive line situation around the league for the present and future than the Browns. Currently, they are one of the worst groups in the league, with injuries at tackles leading to some of the worst play at that position in the NFL. The nucleus in the interior remains the same - Joel Bitonio, Ethan Pocic, Wyatt Teller - but they have all aged and regressed from Pro Bowl level to pretty average.
Furthermore, none of the current starters are under contract beyond the season. The only offensive linemen under contract in 2026 are Cornelius Lucas (who has struggled mightily), Zak Zinter (who can't even dress on game days), Dawand Jones (who continues to deal with significant injuries), and Luke Wypler. It feels like Wypler is set to take over for Pocic at center next year, but that would still leave four spots open on the starting offensive line.
Cleveland does have two first-round picks in the upcoming draft, so naturally, fans are pointing there to try to find a solution at offensive tackle. Unfortunately, this class isn't viewed in very high regard, as Dane Brugler of The Athletic only has three offensive tackles in the top 32, with none higher than 11. Compared to last year, where four tackles were ranked in the top 25, including two in the top 10.
Early 2026 draft big boards aren't high on the upcoming offensive tackle class
Spencer Fano, out of Utah, is the highest-ranked tackle at the moment, coming in as the 11th-best player overall. Just behind him are Francis Mauigoa out of Miami at 16 and Kadyn Proctor out of Alabama at 18. Both Mauigoa and Proctor are suitors to move inside as well, leaving Fano as the only clear-cut first-round tackle for now.
Offensive tackle is either the second or third-most premium position on the offense - behind only quarterback and maybe wide receiver. Because of this, teams are going to overdraft tackles due to the desperation for players at that position. If the Browns want to use their top first-round pick on a quarterback, they almost certainly will miss out on at least Fano, and maybe Mauigoa and Proctor as well.
It's very clear that the Browns have holes on basically every offensive position outside of running back and tight end. Keeping guys like Bitonio, Teller, or Conklin makes some sense, so they don't have to start from scratch and build a brand new offensive line in a year they might want to add a premium receiver and a high-end quarterback.