The Cleveland Browns took one small but calculated risk during the 2026 NFL Draft, and they weren’t about to take any more when it came to Spencer Fano. They could have selected the offensive tackle at No. 6 overall, but they traded down to No. 9, confident they would still be able to get their man.
There, of course, was still a chance that Fano could have been taken with picks No. 7 or No. 8, but Browns general manager Andrew Berry correctly projected that would not be the case. So, after the Kansas City Chiefs used pick No. 6 on cornerback Mansoor Delane, the Washington Commanders selected linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7, and the New Orleans Saints chose wide receiver Jordyn Tyson at No. 8, Fano was indeed waiting there for Cleveland at No. 9.
Analyst Daryl Ruiter recently praised Berry for his draft-day masterclass, saying the GM did “a great job reading that board.”
“I think it would’ve taken almost ‘The Godfather’ offer to get Andrew to move out of 9 because they really wanted Fano. Fano was not going to be there at 12. Andrew Berry did a great job reading that board. He knew moving down from 6 to 9 that he was not going to lose Fano with those two picks. Give Andrew Berry some credit on the intel-gathering that he and his staff was able to do to crystallize the landscape around his picks. I think Andrew Berry deserves a tremendous amount of credit for accurately reading the room when it came to how these draft boards were going to fall,” Ruiter said.
“I think it would’ve taken almost The Godfather offer to get Andrew to move out of 9. They really wanted Fano… I think Andrew Berry deserves a tremendous amount of credit for accurately reading the room.”
🏈@RuiterWrongFAN on Browns & Andrew Berry turning down Cowboys draft… pic.twitter.com/1xGN591JpL
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) May 4, 2026
Before trading down, Berry reportedly got an assurance from the Chiefs that they were going to take a defensive player at No. 6. Then, he had to feel certain that neither the Commanders nor the Saints would trade down to someone trying to trade up for Fano, which, based on their needs and the players available, those teams were unlikely to do.
Then, Berry also had to make the calculation that the Browns could not trade down again and still get Fano. The New York Giants selected offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa at No. 10, and the Miami Dolphins chose tackle Kadyn Proctor at No. 12 after trading down, so Fano easily could have been the preference of either of those teams.
Cleveland reportedly received a trade proposal from the Dallas Cowboys for No. 9, which would have given the Browns picks No. 12 and No. 20, while also handing over pick No. 24. The Cowboys made that offer to ensure they would be able to select safety Caleb Downs, and they later traded up to No. 11 to land him.
After all of those moves, it looks like everyone got the players that they wanted, at least in that portion of the first round.
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