Browns Have Secured A Top Position In 2026 Draft

The Cleveland Browns will move from the regular season into draft season following their final game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Fans have likely been looking ahead for months, wondering where the Browns were going to pick.

Even though the No. 1 overall choice is officially out of reach, the Browns will be able to land one of the best prospects in the class. For a second straight year, Cleveland will enter the process with an elite pick.

According to ESPN insider Field Yates, the Browns have secured a top position in the 2026 NFL Draft, which is guaranteed to be within the top seven selections.

“The first 7 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft will belong to these teams: Raiders: 2-14; Giants: 3-13; Jets: 3-13; Titans: 3-13; Cardinals: 3-13; Browns: 4-12; Commanders: 4-12. The Week 18 slate will determine the specific order. The Raiders have the inside track to pick 1,” Yates wrote on X.

The first 7 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft will belong to these teams:

Raiders: 2-14
Giants: 3-13
Jets: 3-13
Titans: 3-13
Cardinals: 3-13
Browns: 4-12
Commanders: 4-12

The Week 18 slate will determine the specific order. The Raiders have the inside track to pick 1.

— Field Yates (@FieldYates) January 3, 2026

The Browns entered the 2025 NFL Draft with the No. 2 overall pick but traded it to the Jacksonville Jaguars, who selected two-way prospect Travis Hunter. Cleveland acquired the No. 5 overall pick in the deal and used it on defensive tackle Mason Graham, who has had an outstanding first season.

In addition, the Browns added the Jaguars’ first-round pick in 2026, which will be determined by Jacksonville’s postseason performance. Cleveland could package those two first-round choices to trade up, or use them to add capital for a 2027 NFL Draft that is likely to include quarterback Arch Manning.

Having back-to-back seasons that result in a top-7 pick isn’t the goal of any franchise. But if that is the situation the Browns find themselves in, they would be ideally served to make the best of it.

If they can come anywhere close to the success they found with their rookie class from the 2025 draft, it could set the stage for a very bright future.