Whether it is our DBN community NFL mock draft (which went a surprise direction so far, starting with pick #2), our Cleveland Browns mock draft with no quarterback or offensive tackle in the first two rounds, JohnW81 doing a mock draft in The Feed based off of a Mary Kay Cabot comment, or Doug Farrar’s two round Browns mock draft, there are a lot of ways to create an NFL mock draft.
When it comes to trades, it is always hard to predict how they can shake up the actual NFL draft. Cleveland’s trade down
from the second pick in 2025 opened the door for what would become a very solid rookie class for the Browns.
Instead of doing a normal NFL mock draft, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell created one involving a trade for every selection in the first round of this year’s draft. For Cleveland, that involved two different moves, starting with a complicated trade down from the sixth overall selection:
Browns get: 1-12, 1-20, 2027 second-round pick
Cowboys get: 1-6, 1-24, 2027 fifth-round pick
The fifth-round pick complicates things slightly, but the big ticket item is that Cleveland moves down six spots at the top of the draft and up four later in the first round while adding a key second-round pick next year. Barnwell notes that the Browns “long-term answer under center would be in the 2027 class.”
While a trade with Dallas seems to be a popular proposal, adding just four spots lower in the first round and a ‘27 second-rounder is too light for Cleveland GM Andrew Berry to move out of selecting a premium player in this year’s draft. Many believe this year’s draft has between six and eight top players, with a drop off to the next 10-20 prospects. Picks 20 and 24 seem to have similar value this year, so adding a selection that could be around pick 60 is not enough value for this deal to go through.
With the Browns other first-round pick, Barnwell has the team dropping to the bottom of the first while adding a late third-round pick and a sixth-rounder. The article also suggests that Cleveland could move up from the second round, using more draft capital than suggested in their trade down from the 24th pick, to possibly select QB Ty Simpson.
All in all, none of the three trades involving the Browns really move the needle. All three could be interesting, in general, but are either not worth it (Cowboys deal), an underpay to move down (deal with the New England Patriots to drop out of #24), or an overpay to move up (deal with the Seattle Seahawks to move up to #32).
All in all, fun to think about, but nothing to get excited about.
What do you think about the details of the suggested CLE/DAL deal?
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