A prominent draft analyst sees the Cleveland Browns making a major splash in the first round at the top of the draft.
The Browns head into the draft with nine overall picks and two in the first round. There has been speculation that Cleveland will try to do some wheeling and dealing with their early picks. ESPN draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. sees the Browns trading out of their No. 6 spot in a move involving the Dallas Cowboys.
“Let’s have some fun here. Dallas and Cleveland each have two first-round picks coming into the draft, which gives those front offices some ability to maneuver. With an elite prospect still on the board, I have Cowboys owner Jerry Jones calling up Browns general manager Andrew Berry to try to make something happen,” Kiper said. “In this scenario, Dallas would trade pick Nos. 12 and 20 to Cleveland for Nos. 6 and 39. That means the Browns suddenly have three first-round picks.”
With those picks, Kiper sees the Browns addressing multiple positions of need. Cleveland’s first pick would be offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor, followed by Washington wide receiver Denzel Boston and closing out the round with cornerback Jermod McCoy.
Jermod McCoy Would Be Polarizing Pick for Browns
Spending a first-round pick — albeit their third of the round — on a cornerback would be an interesting decision by the Browns. Cleveland is in need of weapons on the offensive side of the ball and has two solid starting cornerbacks in Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell.
But adding a reliable third option like McCoy could be a quiet win for the Browns, per Kiper.
“Proctor and Boston would tick the two biggest need boxes, and finding McCoy — one of the top cornerback prospects in the class — at No. 24 would be the cherry on top,” Kiper said. “Of course, McCoy hasn’t played a football game since 2024; he tore his ACL in January 2025 and sat out all of last season. But the tape is really good, and his ball skills (six interceptions in two seasons at Oregon State and Tennessee) are tremendous. Denzel Ward, Tyson Campbell and McCoy would form a solid trio at the position.”
Browns Trying to ‘Maximize Assets’
The Browns are no strangers to moving around in the first round under Browns general manager Andrew Berry. Coming off a very successful draft, Berry said the focus is on maximizing the value of their assets.
“Our mindset going into the draft with our most valuable asset isn’t about, ‘hey, just trade it away.’ It’s maximizing the asset. And that can, at different times, take different forms. It can be selecting a player,” Berry said. “It could be trading it for a veteran; it could be trading down; it could be trading up. We will continue to work through all those possibilities up until we get on the clock on Thursday night. … We’re working through a number of different scenarios at this point.”
The Browns pulled off a blockbuster last year that paid off in a big way. Cleveland traded down from No. 2 to No. 5 in a deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who were locked in on Heisman winner Travis Hunter. In return, the Browns landed the No. 5, No. 36 and No. 126 picks, plus a 2026 first-rounder.
Browns Linked to Blockbuster Round 1 Trade With Cowboys