Cleveland Browns’ general manager Andrew Berry cooked up quite the impressive draft class for the team in 2025, bringing in a number of foundational pieces on each side of the ball. It didn’t show up in the win column much last year, but if he can repeat that performance and bring in another great class in ’26, he could solidify himself as a potential savior of this franchise.
Unfortunately, his leash may be shorter than one might believe despite how well he did in last year’s draft. Team legend Hanford Dixon wondered if a strong 2026 class might be his only way to stick around another year.
During a recent episode of The Top Dawgs Show, Dixon and Josh Cribbs discussed Berry’s job security. Cribbs asked Dixon if this is a “make-or-break” year for Berry, and Dixon didn’t deny the claim but believes he is doing better.
“I think he is making some strides to keep his job,” said Dixon.
Will Andrew Berry be back in 2027? It might take a STRONG draft class…
"He's making strides to keep his job."
– @HanfordDixon29 pic.twitter.com/KDHd4xJ4hK
— The Top Dawgs Show (@TopDawgShow) April 11, 2026
Berry has been in his current role since 2020, when he was named the youngest GM in NFL history at the time. It hasn’t been easy to accurately grade his time as GM since early in his tenure. The devastating Deshaun Watson trade was made, which has been lauded as arguably the worst trade in the history of sports, and it ultimately doesn’t seem like it was his decision.
There is only so much you can do without a quarterback, and since the Browns chose Watson over Baker Mayfield, the position has been a complete unknown due to Watson’s injuries and underperformance. Against all odds, he may get one last shot to prove he can be the franchise quarterback he used to be, as owner Jimmy Haslam has changed his opinion on the situation and would understandably like to finally see some return on his massive investment.
From 2019 through 2024, Cleveland drafted one player who made a Pro Bowl, and that was Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, whose playing days were tragically cut short due to a neck injury in 2024. Going three straight years without a first-round pick certainly didn’t help, and the Browns didn’t even have a second-rounder in 2022 or 2023.
Last year was the first time Berry got to show his draft chops in years, and his job shouldn’t be on the line with this draft class. If he does the obvious thing and selects a receiver and a left tackle in Round 1, nobody will be calling for his job anytime soon.
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