Much has been made about the Browns' offensive retooling this offseason. It's true that the 2026 Cleveland Browns that will take the field in Week 1 will not closely resemble the 2025 outfit that failed to carry their weight. The changes have been particularly evident along the offensive line, where they are expected to start an entirely new starting five.
With Spencer Fano and Tytus Howard manning the tackle spots and Zion Johnson at left guard, the remaining two spots at center and right guard still need to be sorted out. Elgton Jenkins will assuredly take hold of one of those spots, contingent upon how things work out with Teven Jenkins, Zak Zinter, and rookies Parker Brailsford and Austin Barber come training camp.
There is, however, an intriguing player still looking for work that fits the exact kind of mold that Andrew Berry seems to prefer. That would be none other than Mekhi Becton, a one-time Howie Roseman reclamation project who could see Andrew Berry, Roseman's protégé, toss him another lifeline after his latest career setback.
Mekhi Becton has Cleveland Browns written all over him
Andrew Berry has long had an affinity for gigantic offensive linemen. Yes, a 'big' NFL offensive lineman is redundant. Most of the players in the league dwarf average-sized humans. But Berry likes them even bigger than that. Think Dawand Jones at 6'8" and 374 pounds or KT Leveston at 6'4" and 335 pounds. In that sense, Mekhi Becton fits right in with his 6'7", 367-pound frame.
Some folks, myself included, thought that with the additions of players like Brailsford (6'2", 290 pounds) and Zion Johnson (6'3", 315 pounds), the Browns were embracing a shift toward smaller, more agile offensive linemen. This aligns with the Kyle Shanahan–Sean McVay system adopted by a majority of the NFL's top offenses.
After we ran the numbers, the reality proved somewhat murky. We compared the Browns' 90-man roster from this time last year to the current roster, and calculated the average height–weight combo by position. Cleveland's average offensive tackle in 2026 is 6'5" and 323 pounds compared to 6'6 3/4" and 320 pounds last year. So Andrew Berry opted for a little less height and a little more beef at tackle.
At guard, the change was even less pronounced. In 2025, the average Cleveland Browns guard was 6'4 2/3" and 318 pounds. The change was marginal — to 6'5" and 323 pounds — in 2026. Center saw the greatest shift, as the Browns moved on from one of the NFL's largest centers in Ethan Pocic and drafted Brailsford. For his part, Brailsford would've been the lightest offensive lineman in the league last season and one of only six who weighed less than 300 pounds.
In other words, what initially appeared to be a trend could prove to be just an anomaly. Andrew Berry's affinity for the biggest of the big boys hasn't changed. That's where Becton comes back into play. He had an admittedly difficult year in 2025, though it's always easy to blame the offensive line over the quarterback. It's a delicate balance, and most quarterbacks would say they play a significant role in avoiding sacks.
As supporters of the team that employs Shedeur Sanders, Browns fans can spot a QB who holds onto the ball too long from a mile away. Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert held the ball for an average of 2.4 seconds per dropback while the league average was 2.2 seconds. That discrepancy isn't huge, but that doesn't make it insignificant.
Becton (and Zion Johnson for that matter) would probably be the first ones to tell you they could've performed better in 2025. Objectivity, though, shows they weren't the only ones at fault. They also both suffered from losing their Pro Bowl tackle counterparts — Rashawn Slater for the entire season and Joe Alt for 11 games.
The Browns shouldn't write off Mekhi Becton. Just one season ago, he was an instrumental part of the Philadelphia Eagles offensive line that won the Super Bowl. The opportunity to add another enormous people-mover to a team that figures to lean on the run game heavily in 2026 is too enticing to ignore. Besides, it costs almost nothing to kick the tires.
Cleveland is not too Hollywood to give Mekhi Becton another chance. With every opportunity, there's the possibility that it just might click. The marriage of the Browns' need and Becton's fit is simply too perfect to ignore.
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