After back-to-back seasons of offensive futility, the Cleveland Browns are staring down a critical offseason - one that could finally spark the offensive turnaround fans have been waiting on for years. In 2024, the Browns’ offense was historically bad, averaging just 15.2 points per game, dead last in the NFL.
Things technically improved in 2025, but only slightly - they climbed to 16.4 points per game, good for 31st. That marginal bump wasn’t enough to save head coach Kevin Stefanski, who was let go after another year of offensive stagnation.
Now, the Browns are in full reset mode on that side of the ball, and the 2026 NFL Draft could be their best shot at flipping the script.
It’s no secret where the problems lie. The quarterback situation has been a revolving door of inconsistency.
The backfield, once a source of optimism, took a hit with Quinshon Judkins’ injury. And the offensive line - long considered a strength - is in flux, with four starters and two top backups entering free agency.
The only Week 1 starter expected to return? Dawand Jones, who missed the final 14 games of the season with a torn LCL.
So, yes - there's work to be done. But help may be on the way.
Mel Kiper Jr. dropped his first mock draft of the season, and if his projections hold true, Browns fans might finally see the beginnings of an offensive rebuild that feels real. Let’s break down the two first-round picks Kiper has Cleveland making - both of which directly address the team’s most pressing needs.
Round 1, Pick 6: Spencer Fano, OT, Utah
Cleveland’s offensive line situation has hit a crossroads. The Jedrick Wills Jr. experiment hasn’t panned out the way the front office hoped when they took him 10th overall in 2020.
Since then, the Browns have leaned on patchwork solutions like Cornelius Lucas and Cam Robinson to hold down the edges. That’s not a long-term answer - and certainly not one that inspires confidence in developing a young quarterback.
Enter Spencer Fano.
At 6-foot-5, 308 pounds, Fano brings the kind of size and athleticism you want in a franchise left tackle. He’s not just a traits guy, either - he’s got the production to back it up.
Over 37 college starts, he allowed just four sacks, and his pass protection has drawn rave reviews from scouts. Pro Football Focus gave him an 84.0 grade, ranking him 11th out of 610 offensive linemen evaluated.
That’s elite company.
Player comparisons are always a bit speculative, but Fano’s name has been mentioned alongside some of the best young tackles in the game - Bernhard Raimann, Christian Darrisaw, and Rashawn Slater. That’s not just flattering - it’s significant.
Those three are among the highest-paid left tackles in football. If the Browns can land that level of player on a rookie deal, it’s a foundational win.
This pick would be a major step toward stabilizing an offensive line that’s been anything but stable.
Round 1, Pick 24: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia
Regardless of who’s under center for Cleveland in 2026 - and that’s still a big question - they’ll need someone dynamic to throw to. The Browns’ wide receiver group in 2025 was, statistically, the least productive in the NFL. Their entire receiving corps combined for 1,467 yards - a number that several individual receivers across the league surpassed on their own.
That’s where Zachariah Branch comes in.
At 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds, Branch isn’t going to win many jump balls. But what he lacks in size, he more than makes up for in speed and quickness.
His projected 40-yard dash time is somewhere between 4.25 and 4.4 seconds - in other words, he can fly. In 2025, he hauled in 81 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns, averaging 10 yards per grab.
His 82.0 grade from PFF ranked 45th out of over 1,000 wide receivers.
Branch is a bit of a polarizing prospect. Some evaluators are high on him, others are more cautious, pointing to player comps like Rondale Moore and Ainias Smith - undersized receivers who haven’t quite broken through at the next level.
But the Browns aren’t in a position to nitpick. They need juice.
They need someone who can stretch the field, create after the catch, and give this offense a spark it’s sorely lacked.
Branch checks those boxes.
Big Picture: A Foundation in the Making
If the Browns walk away from the first round with Spencer Fano and Zachariah Branch, they’ll have addressed two of the most glaring issues on the roster: offensive line stability and playmaker explosiveness. That’s the kind of draft that can set the tone for a new era - especially if a young quarterback like Shedeur Sanders ends up winning the starting job in 2026.
There are still plenty of questions to answer in Cleveland. But for a team that’s spent the last two seasons stuck in neutral, this kind of draft haul would be a clear signal that they’re finally ready to shift gears.