CLEVELAND, Ohio — Browns GM Andrew Berry wasn’t coy in explaining why the Browns traded down from No. 2 overall and the areas of this and next year’s draft he was targeting.
“Adding a pick in what we view as really the sweet spot for this year’s draft class,” Berry said, “and then adding a first-round pick next year in a class that quite frankly we think will be a bit stronger in the first 30 picks.”
The Browns, for now, hold two of the first four picks on Friday night, including the very first pick of the night. They also have Nos. 36, 67 and 94.
The Browns have their eyes on infusing the roster with young talent this year and next — and potentially on next year’s quarterback class — and the goal Friday night should be to strengthen the bones of the offense they hope to drop that quarterback into next year.
They can’t fix everything on this roster in one draft and new problems will emerge between now and next April — the offensive line, for example, could be a group in transition next offseason — but the Browns can make sure their house has strong bones before they drop their potential long-term solution at quarterback into it.
The temptation early might be to take one of the quarterbacks that fell out of the first round and, a few days ago, that might have been the answer. Situations change and when the Browns moved out of No. 2 and extracted a haul from Jacksonville that included a first-round pick in next year’s draft, a longer term quarterback plan crystalized and a path forward in what is set up as a two-offseason rebuild — or reset or refresh or whatever you want to call it — is more obvious.
They have flexibility early on Day 2 of this draft, with the obvious option of just sticking and taking a player or they could move back and add more picks — maybe they could figure out a way to add another second-round pick next year, too. There are enough good offensive weapons available to them that they don’t have to lock themselves into anything early Friday night.
If they take a quarterback, that’s fine, but I would be more inclined to go all-in adding quality weapons early on the second night. A good tight end like Mason Taylor makes sense. One of the Ohio State running backs would be a win, too, though running back is a position they can solve later in the night or even on Day 3. Adding competition to a thin receiver room should be a priority. Offensive tackle is still a big need long-term.
Without last night’s trade, taking a quarterback early today made more sense, but whichever quarterback they take — and they likely still will take one at some point in the next two days — will feel more replaceable now that they are set up to attack the position next draft. Jalen Milroe would make the most sense in that regard since, at minimum, he would still be useful in various packages even if he doesn’t develop into a starter — think Taysom Hill or early career Kordell Stewart.
The best course of action, however, is to focus on building the structure and pick through the quarterback leftovers on Saturday. Kenny Pickett, Joe Flacco and one or two of the later-tier quarterbacks can benefit this season. Do it right and the quarterback they target in 2026 can thrive next season.
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