General managers are usually judged on a delay. Draft classes take years to develop, trades are graded long after they happen, and the people making those decisions often absorb the criticism well before any results arrive. Some of them do not last long enough to see their plans pay off. Cleveland’s general manager is now getting his turn to hear the praise.
Daniel Oyefusi and Cameron Wolfe of ESPN spoke with executives around the league about how the Browns have been built, and many NFL executives have had high praise for Andrew Berry.
“When you talk to Andrew Berry, it’s almost like talking to a computer. He’s structured. He’s detailed and programmed. He does a great job articulating that with ownership. He’s responded with strong drafts,” one longtime NFL executive who knows Berry well told ESPN. “The challenging part is it takes a stomach to stick with it. But you must give credit to that whole organization for standing strong through Berry’s plan, and you see it paying off.”
The numbers back that up. Of the 10 players the Browns have taken in the first 3 rounds over the past 2 drafts, 8 are starters. A 9th, safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, plays a key role as the 3rd safety and moved into a starting role after Grant Delpit suffered a concussion on Sunday.
The talent is spread across the roster. Mason Graham, Carson Schwesinger, Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. headline the 2025 class, while Spencer Fano, KC Concepcion, Denzel Boston and Austin Barber have all taken on major roles as rookies. Players drafted in those 2 classes have logged 2,802 snaps this season, trailing only the Miami Dolphins.
Rival teams noticed some of those players long before they arrived in Cleveland. One AFC personnel director told ESPN that McNeil-Warren had been his guy in the draft, and he is now the highest-graded rookie in the league.
The Deshaun Watson trade in 2022 cost the Browns 3 first-round picks, and Berry’s future became a topic of debate after last season’s last-place finish. Ownership kept him in charge, and the rebuild is now showing results.
Berry also restocked the draft cupboard in a hurry. Trading Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams and moving down so the Jacksonville Jaguars could select Travis Hunter brought back significant capital, and the Browns hold 2 first-round picks and 11 total selections in 2027.
The present looks promising as well. The Browns are 4-2 and on top of the AFC North, and Berry is expected to be aggressive before the November 10 trade deadline. If he adds the right pieces to a roster this young, the praise around the league is only going to grow.
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