The need for the Cleveland Browns starts, and basically ends, on the offensive side of the ball. Could the defense use a third starting cornerback? Sure. Could special teams improve in a variety of ways, including a great returner? Certainly. Would any of that matter if the Browns offense continues to be terrible? Obviously not.
That makes the suggested AJ Brown trade at least fun and interesting, as Cleveland GM Andrew Berry will have to get creative to fill in the offense. NFL free agency and trades could dramatically change the Browns needs, even if Berry downplayed it, but OT Monroe Freeling in the 2026 NFL draft is a name fans need to pay attention to.
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Currently, Freeling is the 31st player on the Consensus Big Board and is mock-drafted anywhere between picks 17 and the end of the first round. For Cleveland, that could mean he is available with the 24th overall pick, unless ESPN’s Field Yates’ consistent hype of the Georgia Bulldog is shared by other NFL teams:
Prior to the NFL combine, Freeling is often ranked anywhere between the fourth and sixth best tackle in this year’s NFL draft class behind Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, Kadyn Proctor, and Caleb Lomu. As Yates notes, Freeling is a high upside player who will need some development at the next level.
If Freeling performs well at the NFL combine, expect his hype, Big Board placement, and mock draft spot to climb significantly. It is not out of the question that Freeling is in consideration with the sixth overall pick by the time the Browns are actually on the clock.
For this year’s Browns draft, are you more drawn to upside like Freeling or more experienced, polished players like Fano and Lomu?
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