As everyone already knows, Andrew Berry loves to have a few undrafted free agents make the 53-man roster every year, and there’s no reason to think that 2026 will be any different.
Last season, UDFA DT Adin Huntington, WR Gage Larvadain, WR Isaiah Bond, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, S Donovan McMillon, and CB Dom Jones all made the initial roster and contributed a decent amount both on special teams and on offense/defense throughout the 2025 season.
Let’s take a quick look at a few players who could
follow in their footsteps this year:
SMU RB T.J. Harden
The 6’0”, 218-pound ball-carrier from SMU was an absolute tank in the ACC last season, consistently running over defenders and through arm tackles every week. Though he’s not the fastest player in the world (4.59 40-yard dash at his pro day), his vision and patience allow him to find extra running room when run lanes begin to narrow on the playside.
He’s also an incredible pass-catcher and would immediately be one of Cleveland’s most dangerous receiving threats out of the backfield alongside Dylan Sampson. Harden amassed over 850+ scrimmage yards in each of the past three seasons, and he’s scored 22 total touchdowns throughout that span as well. Raheim Sanders better be ready to compete this summer, or else Harden could run away with the RB3 job heading into the 2026 season.
Utah DE Logan Fano
Logan isn’t just here because it would be “fun” to have the Fano brothers in Cleveland this year. The Browns currently have a depth problem at defensive end, and Logan Fano is a fairly well-rounded player who quite a few people expected to be drafted this year.
The 6’5”, 257-pound edge rusher is known for his run-stopping ability and motor, but he’s slightly raw when it comes to being consistent as a pass rusher. Fano’s very athletic, explosive, and knows how and when to convert speed to power throughout each snap; He just needs help developing a plan.
Browns DL Coach Jacques Cesaire is going to have a ball with Logan Fano this summer in terms of being able to mold him into a more legitimate NFL edge defender. Don’t be surprised if Fano ends up making the team as DE5 over someone like Julian Okwara this season.
West Virginia CB Michael Coats Jr.
Michael Coats Jr. is the definition of a menace at the cornerback position. He’s not the most technically sound player, but he’s consistently around the ball, breaking up passes and throwing his body around against the run. Coats Jr. showed off his top-notch athleticism at his pro day, running a 4.39s 40-yard dash, had a 36” vertical, and had a crazy 6.83s 3-cone drill time at 5’9”, 184 lbs.
His processing skills are pretty good as well, often times reading routes correctly and anticipating where passing lanes are going to be in the short-to-intermediate levels of the field. Coats Jr. projects as a slot corner at the NFL level, and it just so happens to be the exact spot that Cleveland needs to find more depth at.
One of the main reasons, if not the only reason, why he wasn’t drafted is due to his age. He’ll be turning 25 this summer, but the Browns could use his feistiness at nickel in 2026.
What are your thoughts on these three UDFAs? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
