Spencer Fano was the Browns' top target at No. 9, and KC Concepcion was the main man at No. 24, GM Andrew Berry said.
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is a Cleveland Browns analyst for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland. He has covered the Browns since 1984.
Takeaways from Browns GM Andrew Berry’s appearance on The Really Big Show on 850 ESPN Cleveland …
As Andrew Berry basks in the glory of consensus A grades for his 2026 Browns’ draft, the GM shared a few more details on his strategy involving his first four picks.
He said he had three players that “we would have been elated to select at [No.] 6 or 9.”
When Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate was chosen No. 4 by Tennessee, it helped assure the Browns would get their main target, Utah offensive tackle Spencer Fano, after they traded down with Kansas City to No. 9.
It also spared Berry from criticism for passing on Tate.
Berry maintained that “Carnell was actually in consideration for us at 6,” but Fano was the priority.
Berry would not divulge who was the third player on his list, but he did say it was not an offensive lineman.
So much for those rumors of the Browns possibly selecting Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling or Alabama tackle Kadyn Proctor with their first pick.
What about Ty Simpson?
In his internal pre-draft simulations, Berry correctly predicted Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson would be taken by the Rams at No. 13.
But … what if Simpson had made it to No. 24? Would Berry have taken him and thrown a monkey wrench into the QB room for the second year in a row?
“Certainly, if the board falls a certain way, he comes into consideration,” Berry said. “But by no means was that meant to be a suggestion that he would be the focal point of that pick.”
Berry explained that the club “loved” Texas A&M receiver KC Concepcion, whom he took at No. 24. Berry liked Concepcion so much, he said, “we were sweating bullets” that somebody would take him before pick No. 24.
After the Eagles selected USC receiver Makai Lemon at No. 20, the Browns had to be wary of the Steelers scooping up Concepcion at No. 21. But the Steelers, who were actually on the phone with Lemon when the Eagles selected him, pivoted to Arizona State offensive tackle Max Iheanachor.
The double dip
Berry’s 2025 draft was rife with surprises. But his only real surprise this year was doubling up at receiver and taking Washington’s Denzel Boston with his first pick in the second round, No. 39 overall.
Berry said he retired Thursday night thinking he would take Boston in the second round. But he almost switched to rangy Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, who slipped out of the first round. Ultimately, Berry traded up from No. 70 in the third round to take McNeil-Warren with the 58th overall pick of the second round.
“We didn’t think there was really a world that we’d get both,” Berry said.
The 2026 QB plan
Berry said he wants to keep three quarterbacks on the 53 and one on the practice squad.
Of the Browns’ four QBs, you’d have to consider safe bets to make the 53 are Deshaun Watson (because of his contract) and sixth-round pick Taylen Green (because of his long-term potential).
That would put 2025 mid-round picks Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel competing to avoid demotions to the practice squad – if either would pass through waivers.
It’s hard to predict anything, however, this early in the spring season, particularly with a new coach and offensive staff.
“We’ve preached competition and that’ll hold true in the quarterback room,” Berry said. “That doesn’t mean everybody gets equal reps. We’re looking for performance. I hate to make it that simple, but that’s what it’s about, ultimately.”
Green as the next Malik Willis
I have likened Green, the marvelously athletic dual threat QB, to Malik Willis of four years ago. Willis was a raw but athletically superior QB drafted in the third round by the Titans in 2022. After two years of ragged play, he was traded to Green Bay, displayed amazing improvement in limited opportunity, and then defected to Miami in free agency.
“I think they’re different players but I do think where [the analogy] is fair is oftentimes people want to rush to judgment, particularly with quarterbacks,” Berry said. “If you look at Malik his first year, he was thrust coming from a small school where you knew he needed some development, [had] below average infrastructure, and everybody wrote him off after four starts.
“He gets traded for a bag of footballs to Green Bay, sits for two years, and then finally gets his opportunity as he’s grown and developed behind the scenes and plays at a high level with his chances in Green Bay, and now he’s now the starter in Miami this year.
“I think that story we see over and over again, yet we make the same mistake with rushed judgment. I think you can apply it to our own situation. Our two young players [Sanders and Gabriel] have played for, what, less than eight starts. I know that we don’t always work in a sport and industry that exercises patience. That’s not necessarily how we operate internally.”
Filling the donut hole
Fifth-round center Parker Brailsford of Alabama looms as a key player in the final configuration of Berry’s totally rebuilt offensive line.
If Brailsford comes through and wins the starting center job, Elgton Jenkins could be stationed at left guard, his best position, and the Browns would open the season with two rookies on the offensive line – Fano at left tackle and Brailsford at center.
“We like Parker a lot,” Berry said. “Parker has played a lot of football [42 starts at Washington and Alabama], he’s really smart, very athletic, plays bigger than his size, produced at a high level in the SEC. You can’t predict how rookies hit the ground running. But we do think Parker has the make-up to be competitive from the outset.”
A Myles Garrett update
So the “trade Myles Garrett” story angle takes a pause, especially after the Eagles traded for edge rusher Jonathan Greenard and the Browns did not draft an edge rusher to grease a possible Garrett blockbuster trade post-June 1.
Interestingly, however, Berry did not close the door entirely on a future trade of Garrett.
“We want Myles to be a part of this,” Berry said. “I guess you can never say never, but that’s never been a thought or consideration in our mind.
“It would have to be some type of situation that I don’t foresee at this point [to entertain a trade of Garrett].”
A final note
Berry said he was one of the GMs to vote approval of reducing the time limit on first-round selections from 10 minutes to 8 minutes, and would like it to be further reduced to 7 minutes next season.
He said preparation is the key to beating the clock, like a play-caller on game days.
“Monk has 40 seconds to make his decisions,” Berry said.