Month: April 2026

Finally, the 2026 NFL Draft is tomorrow, and it took forever to get here. It’s been a journey of absurd and, frankly, some of the worst takes I’ve ever heard. The one thing I’m grateful for is I haven’t heard the phrase “generational talent” once. Thank God. My mock draft is based on different elements. I’m going to take into consideration the league’s age guardrails and player’s Relative Athletic Scores (RAS). I’ll also consider any knowledge of draftees that I’ve read and heard. There will be no trades. Here goes:

Rd. 1, Pick 6. Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State. This is so simple. Terrible offense, draft a weapon who can help terrible offense. Tate is an excellent route runner with great hands. His biggest fault is he was the number two buckeye wide receiver behind Jeremiah Smith. Every WR in college right know would be number two to Smith.

Rd 1, Pick 24. Max Iheanachor, OT, Arizona State. Iheanachor (pronounced E-hon-ah-chore) came to football late but has improved every year. He’s a raw talent. His quickness, agility and strength make him a unique talent. He has the highest ceiling of any OT in the draft and can be the long-term solution at the position.

Rd. 2, Pick 39. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana. The Browns are in need of a reliable slot cornerback, and Ponds can be the solution to this problem. I know he’s small, 5’9″, 180 lbs., but he gave really good wide receivers problems, just ask Jeremiah Smith and Denzel Boston. Elite cover skills and he has return abilities.

Rd. 3, Pick 70. Jalon Kilgore, S, South Carolina. Versatile safety who can play both free safety and strong safety. Because of his coverage skills, he can also be a team’s nickel corner. At South Carolina, they created a position for him. Can read the opposing QB and is a force at the point of attack in the run game.

Rd. 4, Pick 107. Jalen Farmer, IOL, Kentucky. Started two years a right guard. A better run blocker than pass blocker. He drive blocks very well and finishes with leverage. Works well in space. Needs to improve his footwork.

Rd. 5, Pick 146. Jack Endries, TE, Texas. Started every game in his three years at Texas. He’s a quarterback friendly pass catcher. A consistent ball-winner in tight coverage and tough on man coverage.

Rd. 5, Pick 149. Jimmy Rolder, LB, Michigan. Plays with good awareness and change of direction. He finishes tackles with technique and consistency. Great against the run. Hard to believe he was a one-year starter with his instincts.

Rd. 6, Pick 206. Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama. Elite quickness to keep defenders occupied. Very active and engaged with a commitment to blocking schemes. Great hands and footwork.

Round 7, Pick 248. Lorenzo Styles, CB, Ohio State. He’s made good improvements with his transition from wide receiver to cornerback. Smooth in short zone coverage and plays with good leverage. Has very good cover talent is special teams.

Everyone stay safe, enjoy the draft and Go Browns.

Finally, the 2026 NFL draft is only eight days away. On the one hand it seems very close and on the other hand it seems very far away. Especially considering the nonsense the local and national media puts out on a daily basis. Today, I’m writing to clear up some of the noise.

We all know the Browns have to improve the offense, especially the offensive tackle and wide receiver positions. As of today, the Browns have four tackles rated similar for the first round. Some have speculated the Browns are considering drafting Kadyn Proctor with the sixth pick, however some in the front office have concerns about his agility and footwork, while others feel he is better suited for offensive guard. The two names I hear for OT are Calib Lomu and Markiel Bell. Lomu is rated as a first round pick (but not at pick 6) and Bell is rated a day three prospect. Another OT who interests the Browns is Max Iheanachor, another developmental prospect.

As for wide receivers at pick six, the Browns are interested in Carnell Tate and Makai Lemon. Some in the building believe Tate might be gone by pick 6. Other WR’s who interest the Brown later in the draft are K.C. Concepcion (later in the first round) and Ted Hurst (later in the draft). There are a few defensive wildcards for the Browns. At defensive end, R. Mason Thomas and David Bailey. The biggest wildcard is Caleb Downs, who is a very tempting player at pick 6. I’m fully convinced the Browns will address the DE/LB position either in the draft, free agency or the trade market prior to OTA’s. I’m also convinced the team will draft a safety and a cornerback next week. The Browns believe the safety market in the draft is the best option.

Lately, the media and others on social media have been pushing the trade down theory with the Cowboys and the Eagles being the primary partners. Dallas has a history of making bad trades which benefit the team they’re trading with, so if the Browns can steal picks from Dallas, that’s fine with me. However, there’s no way Cowboy owner Jerry Jones could keep this kind of deal secret, he loves to hear his name in the media. As for the Eagles, Browns GM Andrew Berry always touches base with the Eagles before the draft only because he used to work for them. There’s no Myles Garrett or A.J. Brown trade in the works. As I’ve said, if Garrett is traded before June 1, there’s a $41millon dead cap hit. Now after June 1, the dead cap hit is only $15million but why burden a new head coach with the responsibility of fixing both the offense and the defense in the same year.

There’ll be plenty more speculation and craziness in the next eight days, so stay safe and Go Browns.