Browns fleeced Chiefs with draft night trade that earned highest grade from ESPN originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Browns came into the 2026 NFL Draft's first-round with two picks, at Nos. 6 and 24 overall. They also had two clear needs: offensive tackle and wide receiver.
When their turn came at No. 6 overall, the Browns had the chance to take Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson or a top offensive lineman. Instead, they traded down three picks with the Kansas City Chiefs.
ESPN's Seth Walder gave Andrew Berry and Todd Monken the highest grade of any move on draft night with an "A-" grade for this trade. The Browns fleeced the Chiefs with this trade, as they picked up two picks and still got their preferred player.
"This is an easy win for the Browns," Walder writes. "... Cleveland walks away with extra draft capital and still got Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano - a highly ranked player at a position of need -with the No. 9 pick."
The Browns traded the No. 6 pick to the Chiefs in exchange for the No. 9 pick, along with the 74th selection in Round 3 and the 148th selection in Round 5.
Cleveland's front office got an "A-" grade for this trade, while the Chiefs got a "D+" grade for this deal. It was a clear fleece for the Browns.
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What makes this such a great move for the Browns isn't just that they picked up the extra third and fifth rounders; it's that they got the player they might've taken with the No. 6 pick anyway.
The Chiefs took LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane at No. 6, the Washington Commanders took Ohio State's Sonny Styles with the seventh pick, and the New Orleans Saints took Jordyn Tyson with the eighth pick.
Berry and Monken come out of the first round with their preferred OL in Fano, a top wide receiver in KC Concepcion down the board, and also pick up the 74th and 148th picks on top of that. It was a great Round 1, and this A- grade is well deserved.
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