Browns 'motivated' to make big move in first round of 2026 NFL Draft

Throughout April, whispers have suggested that Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry is looking to trade the sixth overall pick of the 2026 NFL Draft. This is to acquire additional assets needed for the team's latest roster rebuild. 

According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora of SportsBoom US, Berry is very much open for business as it pertains to the draft's sixth choice. 

Browns "motivated" to not pick at No. 6? 

"All of SportsBoom's contacts involved in this process to any real degree -- execs, agents, scouts -- seem convinced that the Browns are as motivated as anyone to jump around a draft class that is short on superior blue-chip talent and also short on prime depth at the position groups rebuilding franchises value the most," La Canfora wrote for an update shared on Tuesday. 

Specifically, some are convinced that Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones wants to move up from selection No. 12 to bolster his club's defense. Ohio State pass-rusher Arvell Reese, Texas Tech defensive end David Bailey, Miami edge-rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and Ohio State safety Caleb Downs are among the players Jones could target if he makes a deal with the Browns. 

"They are bailing out of six," one general manager said about the Browns' draft intentions while speaking with La Canfora. "They aren’t making that pick." 

Why the Browns may be likely to move down the draft order

On paper, the Browns may be responsible for the worst overall roster among AFC North teams. They won't have a proven franchise quarterback this fall unless Deshaun Watson surprisingly turns back into a Pro-Bowl-caliber starter, and some believe Cleveland could trade star pass-rusher Myles Garrett at any point after June 1 of this year. 

"If the Browns are as motivated to rebuild their offensive line as some clubs think," La Canfora added, "then getting extra draft capital for next year while grabbing a tackle or guard in that 11-17 range would seem to make a lot of sense."

That extra asset for 2027 could give the Browns a boost as they begin scouting prospects for what NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated and others believe will be a class "loaded" with top-tier quarterbacks.