In what may be a strange feeling for Cleveland Browns fans, the team has once again done well in the NFL draft. Unfortunately, we are months away from finding out whether draft “success” correlates to on-field victories, but we can only evaluate what happened in the here and now.
The Browns are a better and more complete football team after the first two days of the 2026 NFL draft. As Matt Wilson titled it this morning, Day 2 was “truly remarkable” for Cleveland. The offense and the offensive line
have been overhauled, including the late addition of OT Austin Barber, and the wide receiver depth chart looks like something that can actually work at the NFL level.
The original NFL draft guru, Mel Kiper Jr., had the Browns Day 2 at the top of his “biggest winners and best picks” list:
(Denzel Boston) He was my best remaining player on the board coming into Friday night, and he can immediately make an impact in this Browns offense. Boston runs strong routes, and he uses his 6-foot-4, 212-pound frame to take defenders out of the play. With long arms and sure hands, he catches everything (which is the knock on Concepcion), adjusting his body to haul in the ball.
Elsewhere, McNeil-Warren was 33rd on my board, and the Browns found him still available at No. 58. I was surprised he slid this far. McNeil-Warren was a combine standout, running a 4.52 at 6-4, 201 pounds. And he can create turnovers for the defense, with five picks and 10 forced fumbles over his career. The Browns hit value all night.
James Dator and Mark Schofield at SB Nation gave “A” grades (A+ for Boston, A- for Emmanuel McNeil-Warren) for Cleveland’s first two picks of Day 2 and a “B-” for the Barber selection.
Of note, the Browns are the first team to ever select four players that were listed among the Top 32 in the Consensus Big Board rating, which covers the last nine drafts:
For now, a lot to applaud about how GM Andrew Berry has worked the draft this year. Coming off of a very good 2025 NFL draft class that brought in foundational pieces like DT Mason Graham, LB Carson Schwesinger, RB Quinshon Judkins, and TE Harold Fannin Jr., Berry has put pieces in place for HC Todd Monken to work with.
Like everyone, including the Browns themselves, we can’t wait to see how it translates on the field.
How are you feeling about the Browns draft so far and what it could mean for performance on the field?
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