The 2026 NFL Draft is still nine weeks away, but Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry has already dropped hints about where his focus will lie over those three days.
Cleveland needs just about everything imaginable on offense, especially at wide receiver, offensive line, and quarterback. (Oh my, do they need help at quarterback!)
So relief will come in free agency, but with the Browns holding 10 selections in the draft, including two selections in the first round and four of the top 107 picks,
the heavy lifting will occur on draft weekend.
The questions that won’t be answered until then are which positions Berry will prioritize over the first three rounds. Will it be the offensive line, with candidates like Francis Mauigoa (Miami), Kadyn Proctor (Alabama), Olaivavega Ioane (Penn State), and Spencer Fano (Utah)?
Perhaps a wide receiver or two will catch Berry’s eye from a list that includes Ohio State’s Carnell Tate, USC’s Makai Lemon, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, and Washington’s Denzel Boston.
Even though Berry has pledged a “heavy investment” into the offense, there are some who still believe that it will be difficult to pass up some of the top defensive players, including Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr., Texas Tech’s David Bailey, and Ohio State’s Caleb Downs.
Those are some of the questions that Gordon McGuiness at Pro Football Focus tries to answer in his latest three-round mock draft, so let’s dive in and see how the Browns fare.
Round 1 (No. 6 overall): Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
With safety Caleb Downs coming off the board to the New York Jets with the second overall pick, that puts paid to the idea of Berry using his first selection on defense. But any hurt feelings will be smoothed over by selecting a player who will likely be the consensus No. 1 wide receiver in the draft:
The Browns will likely address their offense early in the 2026 NFL Draft, perhaps with either a pass catcher or an offensive lineman. Tate has the size and skill set to be an elite X receiver at the next level after averaging 3.02 yards per route run, catching 85.7% of his contested targets, and producing a 0.0% drop rate in 2025.
The 6-foot-3 and 195-pound Tate would instantly elevate Cleveland’s morbid wide receiver group after catching 51 passes for 875 yards and nine touchdowns in 2025. While he still can use a bit of polishing, Tate’s pass-catching ability is easy to see, according to Lance Zierlein’s early draft profile at NFL.com:
Ascending “Z” receiver who continues to step out from the shadow of Ohio State teammate Jeremiah Smith. Tate has good size but would benefit from more play strength. He builds momentum quickly on intermediate and deep routes, utilizing speed and tempo to pressure cornerbacks. He can win over the top on verticals or separate over the first two levels with route savvy and separation burst. Tate tracks throws at top speed and makes his adjustments to run under them. He combines timing, body control, and catch radius to dominate air space and consistently lands on the winning side of contested catches. Pass catching comes effortlessly with soft, strong hands, and he consistently works back on throws to keep ballhawks from hawking. Tate displays rare polish for a player his age and has the talent to become a heralded pro within his first three seasons.
Round 1 (No. 24 overall): Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia
The one downside to going with a wide receiver early is that the Browns run the risk of missing out on some of the top offensive linemen. That is the case here as Mauigoa goes off the board to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. 10, Proctor goes to the Pittsburgh Steelers (No. 21), Ioane goes to the Los Angeles Chargers (No. 22), and Fano lands with the Philadelphia Eagles (No. 23).
Not to be deterred, the Browns go with the 6-foot-7 and 315-pound Freeling:
The Browns won’t be thrilled to see three offensive linemen come off the board in succession before their pick, but thankfully, there is another offensive tackle worthy of selection. Freeling improved his PFF overall grade in each of the past two seasons and earned an 85.7 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2025. He could help a Browns offensive line in desperate need of upgrades.
One drawback is that Freeling only made 16 starts in college, which makes him a candidate for some extra sessions with offensive line coach George Warhop. But if he puts in the work, the Browns will have solved at least one of the tackle positions, as Lance Zierlein highlights in his early draft profile at NFL.com:
Freeling offers coveted length and athleticism at right tackle. With only 16 career starts, filling out his frame and improving his technique should be early priorities. His quickness brings first-phase positioning advantages, but he needs more play strength to carry that over to block sustain and finish. Lunging and deadening feet post-punch must be coached out of his muscle memory in pass protection so his athleticism and length can do their jobs. Independent hand usage and a reliable “snatch and trap” could instantly bolster his success rate. There is some buyer beware on tape, but if smoothed out, he has the ceiling of a quality NFL starter.
Round 2 (No. 39 overall): Keith Abney II, CB, Arizona State
We’re still not sold on the idea that the Browns need to add a cornerback so early in the draft, but not everyone shares that belief, which leads to the selection of Abney.
The 6-foot and 190-pound Abney finished the 2025 season without allowing a touchdown in 458 coverage snaps, best in the nation, and allowed just a 44.4 percent completion rate when targeted, according to PFF.
Abney is also willing to get involved in run defense, according to PFF, which would play well to the home fans:
Abney is a competitive, communicative outside cornerback with experience in both man and zone coverage. His best and most confident work seems to come from zone work (press or off), where he can be in bail technique and watch the quarterback’s eyes with a good feel for where his receiver(s) are. He is also a willing run defender with good tackling grades and stats. He can play man coverage, but his long speed and recovery speed appear to be average at best; if he doesn’t get physical with vertical receivers, he can get beaten there. His mentality will be his most alluring trait.
Round 3 (No. 70 overall): Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota State
Ten years after “missing out” on Carson Wentz, the Browns finally land a North Dakota State quarterback in Cole Payton.
This is a tough one to see, given that Payton was only a one-year starter for the Bison and only attempted 58 passes in the four seasons before that. His 2025 season was decent – a 72 percent completion rate, with 2,719 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and just four interceptions, while rushing for 894 yards – but are the Browns in a position to select a developmental quarterback? Especially this high in the draft?
According to Trevo Sikkema at PFF:
At 6-foot-3 and around 230 to 235 pounds, he has good size for the league. He is also an adequate pro athlete, not just for the position but for his size. His rushing ability and experience give him a good floor and ceiling as an RPO and QB power-type backfield player.
As a passer, his grades and efficiency numbers are high, but you have to factor in how easy his situation was in 2025 on a very talented NDSU team that was typically more talented than its competition. He has a high time to throw, which stems from his rushing style but also from not being the quickest to read defenses pre- and post-snap. That has yielded a high sack rate despite his athleticism.
He does have good overall arm talent that is adequate for the NFL. His throwing motion has a bit of a shotput-style finish, but his footwork and base are consistent and give him a strong drive on his passes.
That is probably more use of the word “adequate” than one would like when discussing a quarterback, so with Indiana wide receiver Elijah Sarratt, Ohio State tight end Max Klare, Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields, and Connecticut wide receiver Sklyer Bell still on the board in this mock, it would be surprising if Berry turned in the draft card with Payton’s name on it.
What do you think, Browns fans? Does this mock draft get you fired up, or would you have Cleveland go in a different direction? Share your thoughts in the comments.
