The Cleveland Browns may not be competing for a Super Bowl in 2026, but this offseason is still pivotal in setting up the franchise for future success. New head coach Todd Monken was tapped to lead the Browns into their next era, and the front office will need to arm him with more talent across the board.
Offensively, Monken is one of the best play designers and callers in the NFL and is held in high regard around the league. Monken oversaw the Baltimore Ravens’ offense for the past few years, and the unit was consistently graded as one of the best.
Cleveland’s done well to rebuild its offensive line so far this offseason, acquiring Tytus Howard in a trade with the Houston Texans and later signing Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins in free agency. All three players are slated to start come the 2026 NFL season, but there’s still work to be done to enhance the room.
Fortunately, the Browns have several 2026 NFL Draft picks in their treasure chest, including two first-rounders at No. 6 and No. 24. Cleveland earned the No. 6 pick by virtue of their 2025 record while adding No. 24 in a previous trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Wide receiver is another position of need for the Browns, as Jerry Jeudy simply didn’t cut it as the No. 1 option on the outside.
With obvious needs on the roster, Daryl Ruiter called Cleveland’s draft strategy easy to read.
“The Browns have the No. 6 and No. 24 pick. Yeah, they’re probably going to use one of those picks on a left tackle and they’re gonna use the other pick on a wide receiver. Like, it’s the worst-kept secret in football that that’s what the Browns’ plan is in late April,” Ruiter said.
"It's the worst kept secret in football that that's what the Browns' plan is in late April. It felt like they barely pursued (other QBs)…they just decided we've got Shedeur. We've got Deshaun."
🚨 @RuiterWrongFAN and @NickPedone12 on the #Browns offseason right now pic.twitter.com/qu2hn0VomE
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 15, 2026
As Ruiter pointed out, there aren’t any quarterback prospects outside of Fernando Mendoza that are worthy of being taken as high as No. 6 or No. 24.
Offensive tackle and wide receiver are the team’s main priorities left to fill this offseason, so it’s only a matter of time before they address them in the draft.
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