For the second time in as many years, Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry took a strategic approach to the first round of the NFL Draft. Last year, he moved down from No. 2 to No. 5. In the 2026 draft held last week, he moved down from No. 6 to No. 9.
The Browns had zeroed in on the top offensive lineman on their board, Utah tackle Spencer Fano. He was their guy all along, and they were more than comfortable taking him with the sixth pick if that's what it took. But then the phone rang.
The Kansas City Chiefs offered No. 9 overall along with third- and fifth-round picks to move up three spots. Given the way the draft board was shaping up, the Browns knew they could take that deal and still get the guy they coveted.
Conversely, the chances that the Chiefs would miss out on cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 9 were slim. At worst, they would've still had several options that may have come with fewer question marks. That's why Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon believes the Chiefs got the short end of the stick with this deal.
"The Chiefs could have stood pat and potentially still landed Delane," Gagnon wrote. "Worst case, they could have addressed a need with Spencer Fano or Rueben Bain Jr. in the No. 9 spot and then grabbed a cornerback like Colton Hood, Avieon Terrell or D'Angelo Ponds later on."
The Browns took advantage of a desperate Chiefs team in Round 1
Berry essentially turned last year's No. 2 overall pick into a haul that included Mason Graham, Quinshon Judkins, Dylan Sampson, and KC Concepcion. The Jacksonville Jaguars got Travis Hunter, Bhayshul Tuten, and Rayuan Lane. It's still early, but the first returns suggest that the Browns absolutely fleeced their AFC South counterpart with this move.
That may be the case with the Chiefs as well. Delane might turn out to be as good as advertised, maybe even better, but the Browns turned that haul into a franchise left tackle in Spencer Fano, all while flipping the other picks to get Florida tackle Austin Barber and two 2027 fourth-rounders.
Berry is stacking up assets for the loaded 2027 NFL Draft, so this team could continue to reap the benefits of this move for quite some time. Stockpiling draft picks just for the sake of it doesn't always work, but this front office has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt with how they've moved around the board in recent years.
The Browns are far from a finished product, but for the first time in years, it looks like they have a clear plan and a solid vision. Fano can be a building block for this team, and it all started with a big move that took advantage of a desperate team that may have reached for a player who was probably going to fall into their laps anyway.
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