The early returns on the Cleveland Browns’ 2025 draft class have been promising.
Defensive tackle Mason Graham looks like the right decision at No. 5 overall, especially when you consider the added draft capital — including Jacksonville’s 2026 first-rounder — that came packaged with him. After a slow start, Graham’s impact from the interior of Cleveland’s defensive line has been undeniable; he’s compiled 16 pressures over his last four games, and has crept up to No. 29 overall in Pro Football Focus’ overall rating among defensive tackles.
He's one of many rookies contributing to the Browns this year. Carson Schwesinger has over 100 total tackles in 12 games and looks like a franchise middle linebacker. Quinshon Judkins leads all rookie running backs in rushing and is pacing toward a 1,000-yard season. Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. looks like one of the biggest heists of the draft as a third-round pick, as he currently leads all Browns receivers in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Still, this is far from a perfect draft class for general manager Andrew Berry, who surprisingly opted to double-dip at both running back and quarterback, while not even selecting his first QB, Dillon Gabriel, until the 94th overall pick.
The problem? The Browns will continue to take things week-to-week with Shedeur Sanders and Gabriel at QB, head coach Kevin Stefanski said on Monday, with Sanders remaining the starter for Week 14. And while Dylan Sampson is proving to be an effective third-down back, the Browns missed their chance to add young talent where it was sorely needed.
The Cleveland Browns are trending toward a complete offensive line rebuild in 2026
The Browns’ decision to roll with four starting offensive lineman on the wrong side of 30 this season was a head-scratcher, especially when you consider that Joel Bitonio, Wyatt Teller, Ethan Pocic, and Jack Conklin are also all pending 2026 free agents.
With a quarterback room that’s been unsettled since March, why wouldn’t the team prioritize drafting at least one offensive lineman to at least get some young talent in the pipeline?
It was a questionable call back in April, but it looks even worse now with the Browns scrambling due to injuries. In Sunday’s loss to the 49ers, Conklin left the game with his second confirmed concussion of the season, and the team appears poised to push forward with Teven Jenkins at right guard, with Teller tending to a new calf injury, per Stefanski.
According to Zac Jackson of The Athletic, the Browns started different O-line combinations in each of their first seven games before acquiring left tackle Cam Robinson from the Houston Texans. That trend will continue in this Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans, with more changes exppected at the start of the next league year.
“Is wholesale change coming across the line?” Jackson wrote. “That might depend on whether there are wholesale changes atop the organization. Recent investments made by the front office in the offensive line have produced little to no real results.”
The Browns put themselves in a tough spot, but with their added 2026 draft capital, it’s not impossible to overhaul the offensive line in one offseason. Old friend Mike Vrabel actually just pulled off that feat with the New England Patriots, who opened the season with four new starters not previously on the roster, including rookie draft picks at left tackle (Will Campbell) and left guard (Jared Wilson).
Vrabel’s work, of course, came with him taking over a bad roster left over from the Jerod Mayo regime. It’s much rarer to see a general manager put his own team in a similar bind, but Berry and the Browns made their bed, and they’ll soon be facing the ramifications of some draft weekend decisions that they'd probably love to have back right now.