CLEVELAND — The dust just settled inside Lucas Oil Stadium, and the Cleveland Browns 2026 mock draft projections look like a derailed freight train. Analysts cannot agree on a single name. The only absolute certainty ringing through Berea? The Browns desperately need offensive lifeblood. General Manager Andrew Berry holds the No. 6 and No. 24 overall picks, and after a scouting combine that shattered historic athletic metrics, the war room whiteboard is packed with towering offensive tackles and explosive wide receivers.
The Big Men Blew Up The Combine
CBS Sports and Yahoo analysts agree on the problem but clash on the solution. Mike Renner circles Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, while Ryan Wilson banks on Utah’s Spencer Fano. Fano torched the turf with a 4.91-second 40-yard dash in Indianapolis, but scouts whispered loudly about his 32 1/8-inch arm length. You could almost feel the tension in the stadium corridors as front office executives debated whether Fano belongs at tackle or center at the professional level.
Then there is Monroe Freeling. The Georgia left tackle put on an absolute clinic. Freeling clocked a blistering 4.93-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds. Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo and a chorus of Yahoo writers project Freeling as the impenetrable blindside wall Cleveland craves at No. 6. He moves like a tight end and hits like a runaway truck. Vinnie Iyer of Sporting News counters with Miami right tackle Francis Mauigoa, calling him the ideal pass-protecting rock for Todd Monken’s offense.
Pass Catchers and Family Ties
The No. 24 pick is pure unpredictability. Mock drafts have linked Cleveland to everyone from Washington’s Denzel Boston to Oregon tight end Kenyon Sadiq to replace the departed David Njoku. But the loudest chatter surrounds two names: Ohio State’s Carnell Tate and Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson.
Tate entered the combine as the premier route runner in the class. He clocked a 4.53 in the 40-yard dash. Some analysts called it a stumble. They wanted burner speed. Jerry Rice did not break sound barriers either, and he turned out fine. Tate routinely catches everything thrown into his zip code.
Tyson brings the Hollywood script. The ASU star wideout dominated defensive backs out west, and his older brother, Jaylon Tyson, is currently tearing up the hardwood for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Drafting Jordyn at No. 24—or moving back to grab him, as Josh Edwards boldly predicts—makes too much sense. The family already owns real estate in the city’s sports soul, and the Browns formally met with the younger Tyson at the combine.
“That would be amazing. Just to see a playoff game, I’ve never been to a playoff game, but seeing that atmosphere in the NBA would be amazing. He’ll just make me more locked in on a day-to-day basis.”
— Jordyn Tyson, Arizona State Wide Receiver (on the prospect of joining his brother in Cleveland)
What’s Next for the Browns War Room
Cleveland has a massive offensive rebuild ahead. The recent March 2 trade for veteran tackle Tytus Howard threw a wrench into the early prognostications, but it does not erase the need for a young, franchise anchor. If Berry drafts a mauler like Freeling or Mauigoa at No. 6, expect the front office to hunt for a dynamic slot target or a towering outside threat late in the first round. Indiana’s Omar Cooper is rising fast as a reliable slot option, but Tyson remains the fan favorite. The clock is ticking toward April, and the AFC North waits for no one.