The Browns have spent untold hours scouting offensive left tackles in-person on game days, reviewing tapes of games they didn’t see, devouring information gained from the Scouting Combine and interviewing tackles they might potentially take in the three-day draft that begins April 23 in Pittsburgh.
Barring a trade, the Browns will have the sixth pick and the 24th pick in the first round — two chances to solidify the one position on the offensive line that has needed fixing for almost a decade. They had the third pick in the draft in 2007 and used it on left tackle Joe Thomas. Thomas never missed a snap in a career that lasted 10-plus seasons. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame the first year he was on the ballot in 2023.
According to the NFL’s own scouting reports, the only units with less quality depth than offensive tackle in the upcoming draft are running back and quarterback. No matter how much predraft work the Browns do, they can’t unearth the next Joe Thomas if a similar player isn’t available.
“Unfortunately for tackle-needy teams, this year’s class features more questions than answers over the first two rounds,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote. “Top prospects like Francis Mauigoa and Spencer Fano come with shorter-than-desired arms, while the gargantuan Kadyn Proctor is coming off a highly uneven season in pass protection.
“Caleb Lomu, Monroe Freeling and Max Iheanachor all have talent but are less polished than teams might like. There is an adequate number of starting-caliber bookends available early, but it becomes highly speculative for teams hunting quality depth by the middle of the third round.”
Browns general manager Andrew Berry made improving the offensive line a priority. He acquired right tackle Tytus Howard from the Texans for a 2026 fifth-round pick. He signed guard Zion Johnson (Chargers) and guard/center Elgton Jenkins (Packers) in free agency. He also re-signed guard Teven Jenkins. But left tackle is still a hole.
Here is a quick scouting report on the tackles mentioned by Zierlein:
Mauigoa played right tackle for the Miami Hurricanes. He has been linked to the Cardinals with the third pick in many mock drafts, but he could fall to the Browns if the Cardinals take a defensive player such as edge rusher David Bailey from Texas Tech.
“Mauigoa has a high ceiling, but the leaning must be eradicated,” Zierlein wrote. “He’ll be an early starter at right tackle but a move to guard could be on the table in the future.”
Berry’s first draft selection as general manager was Jedrick Wills with the 10th pick in 2020. Wills was a right tackle at Alabama. The Browns tried to convert him to left tackle. Wills did not make the switch well. He is trying to revive his career with the Bears after taking 2025 off to recover from injuries.
Proctor, 6-foot-7, 352 pounds, did play left tackle, coincidentally, at Alabama. Here is what NFLDraftbuzz.com says about him:
“He can move people in the run game and has the range to handle NFL speed when his technique is right. …He gets beaten inside more than you want to see from a three-year SEC starter. …This is a thin tackle class, possibly the weakest since 2015, and that context matters. Proctor’s tools and SEC experience will keep him in the first-round conversation despite the concerns. The ceiling is a starting left tackle who anchors a line for years. Getting there requires weight discipline, better hand technique to offset the arm length, and real development in pass protection. The raw material is rare enough that the investment makes sense.”
Freeling, from the University of Georgia, is 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, and also plays left tackle. He is roughly 40 pounds lighter than Proctor, but Thomas is proof success and size don’t always go together. Thomas, 6-foot-6, played at 315 pounds.
“The scheme conversation around Freeling starts and ends with zone blocking,” NFLdraftbuzz.com wrote. “His movement skills are the selling point, and the right offense will treat them as a feature. He can reach, pull, and get to the second level in ways that separate him from the other tackles in this class. In a wide-zone system that asks him to ride speed rushers past the pocket and use his length to wall off the edge, he can contribute early. His pass protection, already his more polished skill, gives a coaching staff something to build around while the run-game technique catches up.”
Fano, 6-foot-6, 311 pounds, played left tackle as a freshman at Utah and moved to right tackle his last three seasons.
“Fano lacks ideal proportional build but compensates with loose hips, quick feet and high-end athleticism,” Zierlein wrote. “He has the tools to mirror speed rushers, wall off the top of the pocket and find a late anchor when taking the worst of a bull rush. He needs to stay square longer to prevent inside moves and refine his punch approach/timing.
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