Andrew Berry told more truths than lies in the long pre-draft build-up

Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.

At his pre-draft press conference one week before the long draft weekend, Browns GM Andrew Berry joked with reporters trying to discern whether he was blowing smoke to conceal his intentions.

“I usually just tell you guys the truth,” Berry said with a laugh. “And you guys don’t believe me.”

Now that the draft is over, it’s fair to say Berry was spot-on. In retrospect, he was truthful about a lot of things.

1. At the season-ending press conference on January 5 announcing the firing of coach Kevin Stefanski and looking ahead to 2026, Berry addressed questions about the team’s inept offense the past two seasons.

“It’s no secret that’s where we’re going to invest most of our resources this offseason,” Berry said.

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In the veteran transaction market, Berry signed two offensive linemen and traded for a third, and signed a blocking tight end. In the draft, he used eight of his 10 picks on offensive players.

2. Talking about the possibility of trading down from No. 6 overall, Berry said at his pre-draft presser, “Our mindset going into the draft with our most valuable asset, it isn’t about ‘Hey, just trade it away.’ It’s maximizing the asset.”

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Berry traded No. 6 overall to Kansas City for No. 9, No. 74, and No. 148. He used No. 9 on Utah left tackle Spencer Fano. Later, he traded No. 74 to the Giants for No. 105, No. 145 and a fourth-round pick in 2027. Then he used No. 105 and No. 145 in a trade with the Chargers to move up to No. 86, which he used on Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber. Finally, he traded No. 148 to Seattle for another fourth-round pick in 2027.

The net result of the initial trade with Kansas City to move down three spots in the first round:

* Fano, the Browns’ new franchise left tackle.

* Barber, an immediate swing tackle who could compete in later years for starting right tackle.

* Two fourth-round picks in the 2027 draft.

That’s unbelievable value for a trade down three spots.

3. At his pre-draft press conference, Berry was pressed about his record in drafting wide receivers (none higher than No. 74 and no starters among six receivers taken in his previous six drafts).

“I would have no problem taking a receiver high,” Berry said. “Would have no problem taking a receiver at any point in the draft.”

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Berry used the No. 24 pick on Texas A&M’s KC Concepcion, a dynamic run-after-catch playmaker who also scored twice on punt returns in his college career, and five times in high school.

Then he used the No. 39 pick on Washington’s Denzel Boston, a towering (6-4) target with exceptionally big, strong hands.

They were the highest-drafted receivers in the Berry era and the first time the Browns used consecutive selections on receivers since the Eric Mangini draft of 2009.

4. In answer to a question about the value of drafting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs high in the first round, Berry said Downs “was among a very good safety [class]” in this draft. Berry proceeded to expound on why safeties are being valued on a higher level with many teams.

“I think you’ve seen with us and you’ve seen really across the league that you’re really transitioning from a league where you had either four defensive linemen and three off-ball linebackers or five down and two off-ball linebackers to a three safety league where you have these safeties that are these hybrid defenders,” Berry said. “Kyle Hamilton’s obviously the one that we see every year. You can look at what Nick Emmanwori did as a rookie in Seattle for [coach] Mike Macdonald, and those guys provide a lot of value because they’re really these multi-positions, or we think about positionless basketball. You’re getting to this point where you have this positionless defensive philosophy in the NFL. So, I think that position is certainly gaining value. You know, that’s something that we’ve deployed very often as well.”

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Berry traded up 12 spots in the third round and used the No. 58 pick on Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil, a rangy, 6-3 safety who may challenge Ronnie Hickman for the deep safety spot as a rookie and eventually develop into the multi-position role of which Berry spoke.

5. At NFL owners meetings in late March, Berry said it was “wholly realistic” he could select a quarterback in the draft. Pressed on it the week before the draft, Berry said, “Yeah, I think it’s possible. Quite frankly, it’s possible that we could add to any position. That’s really the truth. And I wouldn’t disqualify quarterback either.”

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Despite adding Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders in the 2025 draft, Berry used pick No. 182 in the sixth round on Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green.   

Green is absolutely the most intriguing selection of Berry’s draft for these reasons: 1. Until the Browns find their final answer at quarterback, any quarterback they acquire is an intriguing addition, and 2. Green turned in the third-highest athletic score of any prospect regardless of position at the NFL Combine.

At 6-6 and 227 pounds, Green is unlike any other QB Berry has drafted, signed, or traded for. He is the Browns’ Malik Willis – a tantalizing, if raw, quarterback prospect with elite physical traits that most coaches and GMs find irresistible.

Willis was a third-round pick of the Tennessee Titans in 2022. He showed his lack of development in three starts with the Titans in two seasons. In 2024, Willis was traded to the Green Bay Packers for a seventh-round pick. Then in two seasons under Packers coach Matt LaFleur, Willis slowly figured it out to the point where his elite physical skills were applied to the position of quarterback. In March, Willis departed Green Bay in free agency and signed a three-year contract with $45 million in guarantees to be the new starting QB of the Miami Dolphins.

Green won’t challenge Deshaun Watson, Shedeur Sanders or Dillon Gabriel for first-team practice snaps in Todd Monken’s first training camp as coach of the Browns. But both Monken and Berry admit that Green could be phased in for special red-zone or 4-minute offense packages to exploit his fantastic athletic skills.

“The short answer is yes,” Berry said. “Obviously, his gift as a ball-carrier and a runner is pretty unique. But it really has to go with the offensive vision. And I think that’s something that over the course of the spring and into training camp, as our offensive staff works with this group of players, we’ll define that identity and figure out how much of that we could potentially incorporate.”

We shouldn’t doubt Berry on his assessment of Green. His track record on this draft, proven here, is pretty good.