With the 2026 NFL Draft approaching and the Cleveland Browns having nine picks to work with in what should be an exciting class, it’s naturally a good time to reminisce about how well the Browns navigated the 2025 draft. Armed with the second overall pick and a lot more, GM Andrew Berry started the festivities off with a shocker when he traded down to No. 5 and passed on the opportunity to bring in two-way superstar and Heisman winner Travis Hunter.
It’s the kind of move that gets you fired if it doesn’t work out, but one year in, nobody is complaining. The Browns look to have landed a defensive anchor in Mason Graham with last year’s No. 5 pick, a legitimate No. 1 running back in Quinshon Judkins via Jacksonville’s second-round pick, and also have the 24th pick this year from the trade. The icing on the cake comes in the form of some rumors that the Jags may already be leaning toward transitioning Hunter into a full-time cornerback and merely a gadget receiver on offense.
During a recent episode of 3 & OUT with John Middlekauff, the analyst gave the Browns their flowers for how well they orchestrated the ’25 draft. He said Berry doesn’t get nearly enough credit for the move and praised Graham for his dominant rookie season.
“I don’t think they get enough credit on the trade they made last year. I’m not by any means a Travis Hunter hater, but his value is because we’ve never really seen anything like that. He’s a high-level prospect, but you’re not getting Calvin Johnson. You’re not getting Deion Sanders. Andrew Berry made one of the great trades of all time because he traded back three spots and he immediately got one of the top two or three players in the draft,” said Middlekauff.
The Browns WON the Travis Hunter trade with the Jaguars. @JohnMiddlekauff gives flowers to Cleveland one year after the blockbuster trade at the 2025 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/XBp5XoXK8o
— 3 & OUT with John Middlekauff (@3andout_pod) April 17, 2026
The blockbuster trade was a massive risk that looks to have paid off, but going into the 2026 draft, the Browns aren’t in a position where they need to do something that risky again. Trading down is always a wise move and there aren’t any Hunter-level prospects lurking in this class, but if the Browns stay put, many are of the belief that this is a good year for them to make the sensible picks in Round 1.
Hunter had a solid rookie campaign, but as many thought would happen from playing both sides of the ball, he got hurt and missed ten games. He obviously still has plenty of time to turn things around, but the trade has already paid immediate dividends for the Browns and things would have to reverse drastically for anybody to look back on this trade and think it was anything other than a huge win.
The draft is just days away and if the Browns can repeat the success they had last year, this organization could really be off and rolling.
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