The Cleveland Browns finally have their head coach after hiring Todd Monken, and everyone can now move on to other things. Now that Kevin Stefanski’s replacement is in place, he can begin to shape the team in his image, starting with an important 2026 draft in which the Browns will have a pair of first-round picks.
Cleveland will pick sixth and 24th, and with how this offense has struggled over the past couple of years, it would be wise to use the picks on that side of the ball. Cleveland also has four starters on the offensive line hitting free agency, which is why one analyst recently linked them to a long-term solution in the trenches with the sixth overall pick.
Josh Edwards of CBS Sports recently wrote an article highlighting which prospects all the teams with new head coaches should target.
For the Browns, he likes the idea of them going after Miami tackle Francis Mauigoa.
“Cleveland was almost certainly going to draft offensive line or wide receiver regardless of who was hired as the next head coach. Given Todd Monken’s offensive background, fans can chisel that into stone. Realistically, the team should still be able to get a quality player at one of those two positions or trade back and open up a new pool of candidates. Right tackle Jack Conklin has struggled to stay healthy. Despite having two more seasons left on his current contract, the Browns could move on from him or retain him at a reasonable expense. In theory, Mauigoa could play guard short term and kick back out to tackle once Conklin moves on if Monken feels as though that is the way to get the five best linemen on the field,” Edwards wrote.
Mauigoa was an anchor for Miami’s run to the National Championship game this season and protected Cam Ward in 2024, helping him become a finalist for the Heisman. He primarily played right tackle at Miami, but he is versatile enough to move around the line if the Browns need him to, which may not be necessary with right tackle Jack Conklin hitting free agency.
Francis Mauigoa is the one lineman I'm taking in the top 10 without hesitation. Most reliable OL in this class pic.twitter.com/xuwj5dnRDn
— Joe DeLeone (@joedeleone) February 2, 2026
Cleveland’s lone remaining starter on the line is left tackle Dawand Jones, who has struggled mightily to stay on the field over the past couple of years. Even his spot isn’t set in stone, so Mauigoa would provide some much-needed immediate stability regardless of where he plays on the line. Slotting him in at right tackle for a decade would be a dream scenario with this pick and would enable the Browns to use No. 24 on either a receiver or potentially another lineman.
Lineman and receiver are far and away the team’s biggest needs at the moment, and it would be a surprise to see them use these picks anywhere else.
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