Frank SchwabSenior writerSat, April 25, 2026 at 1:17 AM UTC·5 min readTo start the NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns continued to add some impressive young talent. They still need the most important piece, but whoever their quarterback of the future ends up being will step into a pretty good situation.
The Browns made some strong picks early in this year’s NFL Draft, which follows up a strong 2025 rookie class. If the 2026 draft class is as good on the field as it looks on paper, Cleveland might finally be onto something in what seems like a never-ending rebuild.
The Browns had a fantastic draft last year. They got contributions from defensive tackle Mason Graham, linebacker and NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Carson Schwesinger, running backs Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson, tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders. All seven picks played roles and had success, to varying degrees.
This year, the Browns had a smart first round. They traded down from No. 6 to No. 9, picking up extra picks, and still got the top offensive lineman off the board, tackle Spencer Fano. That filled a major need. Later in the first round they took playmaking receiver K.C. Concepcion, then they doubled up at receiver early in the second round with Denzel Boston. Boston is a typical big X receiver and Concepcion can play from the slot and move around, and should complement each other well.
With Fano, Concepcion and Boston, new Browns coach Todd Monken has immediate help for his offense. Just to make sure the defense got some help, the Browns made a smart pick with Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren in the second round. Many thought McNeil-Warren could have been a first-round pick, but the devaluation of safety pushed him down a bit. He should be an excellent player on a defense that is already pretty good.
Of course, there’s still one big hole. Even though the Browns had Gabriel and Sanders start games last season, and they each had moments in which they played well, it doesn’t look like either is the long-term answer. For some reason the Browns might try Deshaun Watson again, but it has been a long time since he was a viable NFL starter. The Browns will have a close eye on the 2027 quarterback draft class, which is expected to have many first-round worthy players.
If Cleveland can get the quarterback right by the end of the 2027 draft — this is the Browns, and getting the quarterback position right has been impossible for almost three decades — then something might be cooking.
Here are the winners and losers from day two of the NFL Draft, after a bunch of winners and losers were crowned for what they did day one:
Jonathan Greenard and the Eagles defense: The Eagles weren’t able to come close to the four-year, $120 million deal that edge rusher Jaelan Phillips got to leave Philadelphia for the Carolina Panthers this offseason. But they did invest in a depressed asset.
The Eagles traded a pair of third-round picks, one this year and one next year, to the Minnesota Vikings for edge defender Jonathan Greenard. Greenard had just three sacks last season but 24.5 sacks the two seasons before that. Greenard will be 29 years old next season so there’s some risk at that age, but the Eagles were fine taking that risk. It’s easy to trust their track record on those types of moves. They also made one of the best picks of the second round, grabbing tight end Eli Stowers. He’ll be added to the offense along with first-round pick Makai Lemon. The Eagles made some strong moves all around early in the draft.
De’Zhaun Stribling: Stribling wasn’t expected to go ahead of some other receivers in the class like Denzel Boston, but he was the first pick of the second round. And he landed in a fantastic spot.
The Ole Miss product went to the San Francisco 49ers, who know some things about offensive football. Stribling will take an immediate role in an offense that will trade or cut Brandon Aiyuk, doesn’t seem interested in bringing back Jauan Jennings and has to have injury concerns about Ricky Pearsall and also tight end George Kittle as he comes off a torn Achilles. Stribling was a little bit of a surprise to go as high as he did, and he landed in a spot in which he can be immediately productive.
Washington Commanders offense: There was nothing wrong with Washington drafting linebacker Sonny Styles in the first round. He was the right pick.
But the Commanders had to know it would be a long time before they got Jayden Daniels any help. And he needs some help.
The Commanders didn’t have a pick in the second round. Washington could use another receiver and some offensive line help. Maybe even another running back. Daniels had a rough second season, and it wasn’t just because of injuries. He didn’t have enough help. Most of the Commanders’ offseason moves were geared toward fixing a defense that also needed help. Daniels will have to wait a bit longer.
Jermod McCoy: If McCoy was healthy he might have been the CB1 in this class. The actual CB1, Mansoor Delane, went sixth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs. That should give an idea of how high McCoy could have gone.
But McCoy wasn’t healthy. He tore his ACL training in January, and that completely changed his draft stock. He was still considered a potential first-round pick based on talent, but he slipped out of the first round and started slipping in the second round too. In the second round, cornerbacks Colton Hood, Avieon Terrell and D’Angelo Ponds went with McCoy still on the board. It was similar to last season, when Will Johnson slipped into the second round due to medical concerns.
McCoy didn’t go in the second round though. The Seahawks finished the round with a pick and McCoy was surprisingly still on the board. Given the optimism about McCoy coming into this draft, despite the injury, that slide had to hurt.