Unless there is a new rumor or move made, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the 2026 NFL draft. Until proven otherwise, despite a previous suggestion, many will assume that the Cleveland Browns are either drafting a wide receiver, an offensive tackle, and/or trading down in the first round of the draft.
We can mock draft in a million ways, including our more “win-now” version published on Wednesday morning, but the Browns will have to wait through a number of picks, with a shorter
window between selections, to find out what GM Andrew Berry will do.
Given Berry’s NFL draft history, Cleveland fans are doubtful of this front office’s ability to make good decisions. In response to a big Myles Garrett trade package possibility, we saw this as the start of a response:
In no way do I trust the Browns in a draft.
That means, as this title indicates, fans are more likely to assume whoever Cleveland takes this year is the riskiest prospect to bust and whoever they pass over that they should have taken was the safest option. A look at the Top 25 prospects in the 2026 NFL draft, according to the Consensus Big Board, gives us this list:
- QB Fernando Mendoza
- LB Arvell Reese
- Edge David Bailey
- RB Jeremiyah Love
- LB Sonny Styles
- OT Francis Mauigoa
- S Caleb Downs
- WR Carnell Tate
- Edge Rueben Bain
- CB Mansoor Delane
- OT Spencer Fano
- WR Jordyn Tyson
- WR Makai Lemon
- OT Monroe Freeling
- CB Jermod McCoy
- iOL Olaivavega Ioane
- TE Kenyon Sadiq
- S Dillon Thieneman
- OT Kadyn Proctor
- Edge Keldric Faulk
- Edge Akheem Mesidor
- WR Omar Cooper Jr.
- WR Kevin Concepcion
- S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
- WR Denzel Boston
Trying to identify who is a risk and who is safe always starts with injuries. To some extent, those can’t be predicted, but there are indicators. Tyson, McCoy and Mauigoa have a history of concerns leading up to the NFL draft.
After injuries, where a player lands can often set them up for success or failure. Without any way to predict either injuries or landing spots, we are left with trying to just look at the prospects as they are.
Downs seems like the safest bet to be a very good player for a long time. After that, Love is the lone elite offensive prospect in this year’s group. On the risky side, Mendoza, as the first overall pick in a draft with no other top-level quarterbacks, could set him up for failure, while Reese’s tweener role at The Ohio State leaves room for the possibility of not reaching his potential in a specific role, and Bain’s short arms are historical outliers.
Proctor could be the biggest boom/bust prospect in the entire draft, with a chance to be a Top 5 left tackle or out of the league too soon (Alabama’s OLine history is very concerning).
For the Browns, the team needs talented players, but playing it safe could keep them from getting an elite prospect. There is never a right answer for a team that is trying to find its winning ways. If a safe pick is just good, not great, the upside is limited. If a risky pick busts, it is a waste of an opportunity.
Who do you think is the safest pick among the top prospects in this year’s draft? Who do you think is the riskiest? Which way should the Browns lean in this year’s draft?
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