Now that the 2025 NFL season has officially concluded, every team in the league has shifted its focus to 2026. The two biggest upcoming events are the Combine and the 2026 NFL Draft, which are both less than three months away.
The Browns have a unique opportunity in this year’s draft, as they have two first-round picks to work with, No. 6 and No. 24. At 6, the sky is the limit from a positional perspective for the most part, as analysts believe this to be a weak quarterback class outside of Fernando Mendoza.
With that in mind, the Browns could go in nearly any direction they’d like on either side of the ball. Some have suggested going heavy on offense, as they struggled mightily in that area last year. Others have indicated that the Browns should just take the best player available regardless of position, hoping the talent ultimately wins out.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs has been linked to the Browns in several mock drafts, as he’s an athlete that many around the league are extremely high on. While analyst Jason Lloyd seemingly likes Downs as a prospect, he recently put out some cautionary words to the Browns’ front office in a segment of the Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show.
“You have to believe as an organization, this is a generational player, he’s going to Canton one day, he has that kind of potential,” Lloyd said.
If the #Browns believe Caleb Downs is a generational talent, he is 100% in play at #6, says @ByJasonLloyd.
If they think he’s just a really good player & not generational, they need to go in a different direction. pic.twitter.com/lHw85QRXBR
— Ultimate Cleveland Sports Show (@ultCLEsports) February 17, 2026
As Lloyd alluded, the Browns have a lot of strong pieces on defense. They have holes, sure, but every team has its weaknesses, even in its strongest units. Downs could be a solid NFL player, but if he’s not an instant difference-maker from the jump, the Browns could grow to resent the pick.
There’s no telling what the Browns are going to do on draft night, and they haven’t tipped their hand either way to this point. All that fans can hope for is that they think about the long and short-term implications of their decisions, knowing that the right or wrong picks could shape the future of this team for years to come.
Having two first-round picks can be a big deal and can change the trajectory of the franchise. As the Browns are probably figuring out, making that decision doesn’t come easily, especially when it’s on behalf of a fanbase that’s been waiting for them to be relevant for years.
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Browns Receive Blunt Advice Ahead Of NFL Draft