How Browns' draft decisions could affect multiple players on the current roster

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Though trading down early in the draft to acquire more picks remains a realistic option, straight-line wisdom says the Browns should use their selections at Nos. 6 and 24 on upgrading their offensive line and pass-catching groups. But those aren’t the only options, and only those closest to Browns general manager Andrew Berry know how the team ranks the prospects ahead of Berry’s seventh draft in charge. New coach Todd Monken presumably wants more playmakers. The Browns, though, might be thinking about future seasons and drafts, too, and that’s where a trade down could come into play. If there’s no true left tackle available, should the Browns still take the best available lineman? Does the team view Ohio State’s Carnell Tate as a true No. 1 receiver? Would a defensive player such as Ohio State safety Caleb Downs enter the discussion if the Browns see him as a surefire NFL star? All of those are questions Berry’s staff has probably tackled in recent weeks. Another pressing question: Should the Browns just take the best available player or pursue a trade to acquire future draft capital and look more toward winning in 2027 and 2028 than in the season ahead? Earlier this offseason, Berry said the Browns were trending toward potentially becoming the league’s youngest team in 2026. Part of that is the roster transition that began last year, when Berry unquestionably had the best draft of his tenure. And part of it is that the Browns re-worked quarterback Deshaun Watson’s contract to create around $35 million in 2026 salary-cap space, just to operate this offseason. The Browns still don’t know how they’re going to end their perpetual search for a true answer at quarterback, and the team also should know that whoever is throwing the passes will benefit from necessary upgrades at wide receiver. The depth chart can’t be completely upgraded in one draft, which was the primary point of Berry’s trade down from No. 2 to No. 5 last year. But the Browns have some needs at every offensive position and would love to add more blue-chip players to their young core. With that in mind, which current players’ situations might be made either more cloudy or more complicated by the Browns’ impending draft selections? What big-picture clues or questions might be highlighted when we finally get real answers on how the folks in charge view the team’s roster priorities? The draft always presents an opportunity for teams to upgrade. Here’s what we might be wondering at a handful of positions. What’s likely to end up being a complete remake of the offensive line is ongoing. The Browns seem certain to draft at least two offensive linemen, but how those rookies fit remains unclear — and might depend on whether Cleveland drafts a true left tackle. Tackle Dawand Jones and center Luke Wypler are signed only through 2026. Teven Jenkins signed a one-year deal in March to return to Cleveland. Elgton Jenkins, who can play anywhere across the line, signed a two-year deal with the Browns and will be somewhere in the starting lineup once he recovers from the broken leg that ended his 2025 season. Elgton Jenkins’ best seasons have come at left guard, but Monken said he likely would have been at center for the Browns’ minicamp if he were fully cleared to participate. With Jones in uniform for minicamp but still coming back from the fractured leg that ended his 2025 season, KT Leveston was first up at left tackle in minicamp. Zak Zinter, who’s failed to crack the lineup over his first two seasons, worked as the backup left guard. For now, newly acquired Zion Johnson is the unquestioned left guard, the position he played for most of his last three seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers. Tytus Howard will likely be the Browns’ starting right tackle. So, the Browns could end up drafting a left tackle and immediately putting a rookie there. They could draft a rookie lineman with position versatility and let that player start at right guard. Jones might again get to compete for the left tackle job, but he could also basically be relegated to a backup role by the team’s draft choices this weekend. Berry said the Browns valued talent in their offseason line acquisitions but considered versatility a bonus. How much that versatility will be needed early in the 2026 season likely depends on the readiness of the Browns’ rookie linemen and the overall health of the group. Right now, it’s hard to envision any of Jones, Wypler or Zinter in the team’s longer-term plans. In the first round, the Browns might have to choose from among true left tackles such as Georgia’s Monroe Freeling, Utah’s Caleb Lomu or Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, or potentially more versatile players such as Utah’s Spencer Fano, who played two seasons at right tackle after starting his college career on the left side. Proctor was a three-year left tackle at Alabama but could end up playing either right guard or right tackle in the NFL. No conclusions were reached in the first voluntary minicamp practice. But, unsurprisingly, it feels like this year’s version of the Browns’ seemingly annual quarterback competition is mostly Shedeur Sanders versus Watson — and, eventually, both versus the Browns’ history of playing three-plus quarterbacks over the course of a season. It would be a surprise if the Browns drafted a quarterback in the first or second round, and there’s no guarantee they will select a quarterback at all. For now, 2025 third-round pick Dillon Gabriel is third in line. Cleveland seems likely either to add another passer on the draft’s final day or go shopping for a younger, developmental-type prospect in the post-draft trade or free-agent markets. Gabriel probably isn’t a starting quarterback in the NFL, so he probably knows he’s not in the Browns’ plans. Though most teams carry four quarterbacks through their offseason programs, it’s possible the Browns could trade Gabriel during the draft or just afterward if some other team became interested in him. Asked Tuesday if he believed the draft could change his standing with the team that selected him 12 months ago, Gabriel said he’s just “controlling what I can.” Watson and the team around him would have to play at a much higher level than in the past for him to be in Cleveland’s thinking beyond the 2026 season. So, we’ll continue to track the competition and Sanders’ development over the next few months. But in the bigger picture, it’s probably Sanders versus a potential mid-round rookie versus the thought that the Browns might just fully commit to a 2027 quarterback search. The Browns continue to say they don’t plan to trade All-Pro defensive end Myles Garrett. Though his absence from the voluntary offseason program is a talking point, because Monken and Garrett have yet to meet in person, it’s not a surprise. Garrett usually doesn’t show up until the mandatory minicamp in June, and his consistent production suggests he’s doing a fine job of preparing himself for each season on his own. But something stinks here in a different way than the Cleveland offense has the last two seasons. The late-March contract modification Garrett and the Browns agreed to deferred a $10 million payment to Garrett without granting Cleveland any short-term cap relief. The only way to interpret that modification is to say it at least opened the door to a potential trade of the 30-year-old Garrett before early September, when that payment is due. A year after Garrett campaigned for a trade before signing a long-term extension, the Browns’ forecast isn’t really any sunnier. Garrett just set an NFL record by posting 23 sacks on a team that won five games. If the Browns want to fully pivot to a forward-focused roster plan, they could undoubtedly bring back multiple premium draft picks by shopping Garrett. Whether the folks running the Browns could actually get what they consider proper value is a different discussion — and just one of the many awkward layers of this. Any trade of Garrett wouldn’t take place until after June 1, when the Browns could split the dead-cap charge of such a deal into multiple years rather than swallowing it all in one season. So while it won’t happen this weekend, the Browns selecting any edge rushers — or even the best non-tackle or non-wide receiver — could fuel speculation of 2026 becoming a punt year and Garrett potentially getting moved. Last season, the Browns made a huge commitment to Garrett and also signed defensive end Alex Wright to an extension. Though Wright and Isaiah McGuire played significant roles last season opposite Garrett, Wright emerged as the more consistent player in 2025. McGuire is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and his future is uncertain as well. With a deep class of pass rushers available in this weekend’s draft, the Cleveland defensive end group is certainly one to watch. Grant Delpit is a team leader and had his best year in 2025, but he’s under contract for only one more season. Ronnie Hickman, the other starting safety, got the right of first refusal tender from the team when he hit restricted free agency. Hickman is almost certain to play in Cleveland in 2026, but he’ll be eligible for unrestricted free agency next year unless he signs an extension. It feels unlikely that the Browns would select Downs at No. 6, though his being available at that pick could help Cleveland facilitate a trade a few spots down the board. Cleveland has also been linked by multiple draft experts to Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, and those rumors have only escalated since Browns assistant general manager Catherine Hickman was spotted at Toledo’s pro day last month. McNeil-Warren is viewed as a late first- or early second-round pick. Right now, the Browns pick at No. 24 and again at No. 39. They have four of the first 70 picks and nine total. At wide receiver, it’s a question of depth — and style. Most draft experts view this receiver class as more deep than top-heavy. Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion is electric with the ball in his hands, but he might never be an every-down outside wideout. Washington’s Denzel Boston is a big target who can play on the outside, while USC’s Makai Lemon is considered a true slot who’s explosive enough to also play outside. Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson is one of the draft’s most intriguing prospects and a potential top-10 pick. He has a rare combination of size and speed but also an extensive injury history. Right now, the Browns are committed to wide receivers Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman for at least one more season. Isaiah Bond and Malachi Corley are likely next in line. Do the folks in charge of the Browns think Tate is explosive enough to become a true No. 1 option? Finally, we’re close to getting some real answers after months of guesswork. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms