Following the 2025 NFL season, the Cleveland Browns knew they needed to overhaul the roster in order to be more competitive come the 2026 NFL campaign. The Browns still have Myles Garrett to lead them defensively, but outside of him there is a lot of work to be done.
The 2025 NFL Draft class, featuring young talents like Carson Schwesinger, Harold Fannin Jr. and Quinshon Judkins, was a good place to start, but Cleveland needs to nail its next draft class. The Browns own nine total draft picks, with four of them in the top 100.
There should be an ample amount of Day 1 starters available to Cleveland, and general manager Andrew Berry has proven he is not afraid to take swings on talented prospects regardless of position. As things stand today, the Browns have major needs at wide receiver and tackle, but on defense, they could use more depth along the defensive line and secondary.
As far as free agency goes, Cleveland did well to add some promising pieces to help but also lost some players in the process. For example, linebacker Mohamoud Diabate signed a deal with the Tennessee Titans after the Browns decided not to tender him with a restricted free agent tag.
Following his decision to sign with Tennessee, Diabate posted a heartfelt farewell to Cleveland and the fans.
“Cleveland, thank you for everything. Much love to the fans, my teammates, and the coaches for the last 3 years. Grateful always Excited for what’s next,” Diabate posted.
Cleveland, thank you for everything.
Much love to the fans, my teammates, and the coaches for the last 3 years.
Grateful always 🙏🏾
Excited for what’s next.— Mohamoud Diabate (@MDiabate11) March 22, 2026
Diabate was originally an undrafted free agent in 2023 but found a home with the Browns as he became a regular on defense and special teams. This past year, Diabate played a key part in the team’s stout defense, particularly in the run game.
While losing a player like Diabate isn’t the end of the world for Cleveland, it does open up another hole on the roster that needs to be addressed.
There are still values to be had in free agency, but it won’t be surprising to see the Browns take another swing in the undrafted free agency pool following the draft.
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