There will be continuous debate in the coming months about what the Cleveland Browns will or should do in the 2026 NFL Draft.
On the one hand, it will be hard for some fans to accept it if general manager Andrew Berry decides not add to the defense with the No. 6 overall selection, with Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles or his teammate, safety Caleb Downs, being popular choices.
On the other hand, the offense is a complete mess. With quarterback out of the question, at least with Cleveland’s first
selection in the opening round, wide receiver could be the call from a group that includes USC’s Makai Lemon, Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson, or Ohio State’s Carnell Tate.
There is one certainty in all this, which is that the Browns will be selecting one (or more) offensive linemen. Such is life when four of your starters from the previous season may be gone either through free agency or retirement, and your fifth starter can’t stop suffering season-ending injuries.
While it may be a bad year at the top of the draft for quarterbacks, it is a good year to need an offensive lineman. Browns fans will become very familiar in the coming weeks with the likes of Miami’s Francis Mauigoa, Utah’s Spencer Fano and Caleb Lomu, Georgia’s Monroe Feeling, and Penn State’s Olaivavega Ioane.
The offensive linemen in attendance at the annual NFL Scouting Combine had their media appearances on Saturday, and Mauigoa shared how going up against Hurricane defensive ends Rueben Bain Jr. and Akheem Mesidor has him prepared for the next level:
“Nobody comes close to what we got. I mean, Rueben Bain and Akheem Mesidor, they gave me all the work. They built who I am right now. Every day, we’re going head-to-head. Like coach [Mario] Cristobal said in one of his interviews, it’s like Jurassic Park.”
It is an interesting comment, and one that echoes what Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said earlier in the week, about the benefits of facing top-level competition not only in games but during the practice week.
If the Browns were to select Mauigoa, he would get to continue that experience by facing defensive end Myles Garrett regularly in practice. And given Garrett’s interest in dinosaurs, he would likely appreciate the Jurassic Park reference.
More importantly, Mauigoa embracing the weekly challenge as an opportunity to improve is a positive sign, as is his willingness to play either tackle or guard, depending on where he fits best at the NFL level:
“(Teams have) all talked to me about how I feel if I move to guard. I asked Coach Mirabal if I could get some reps at guard. I already know I’m going to play right tackle [at Miami], but for the next level, I mean, I’m not sure. If they want me at whatever position, I’m going to do it. It’s five positions, I’ll make sure I take one of them.”
There is still a long way to go until the draft, but with the Browns needing help everywhere on the offensive line and Mauigoa being willing to play wherever his future needs him, it would not be a surprise if his name is called when Cleveland is on the clock in the first round.
