Browns GM Andrew Berry says the team is “maximizing” No. 6 pick — trade up, down, or keep
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry said Thursday that the organisation's entire strategy around the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft is centred on maximising its value — whether that means selecting a player, trading up for a veteran, or moving back for additional assets, ahead of the April 23 draft in Pittsburgh.
- Berry confirmed Cleveland will explore all trade scenarios at No. 6 right up until they go on the clock Thursday night.
- The Browns hold two first-round picks — No. 6 and No. 24 — plus seven additional selections across the draft.
- ESPN's Mel Kiper projects Cleveland trading picks No. 6 and No. 39 to Dallas for Nos. 12 and 20.
- Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate is the name most often linked to Cleveland if they stay put at six.
Berry pushes back on trade-down assumption
Speaking at his annual pre-draft media availability in Berea on Thursday, Berry directly challenged the growing narrative that Cleveland is certain to move back from No. 6. "I love how everybody last year thought we weren't trading down and this year everybody assumes we are," he said, according to the Cleveland Browns' official news release.
Berry made clear that all doors remain open. "It can be selecting a player, it could be trading it for a veteran, it could be trading down, it could be trading up," he said. "We will continue to work through all those possibilities up until, really, we get on the clock on Thursday night."
Cleveland enters draft week with nine total picks, including Nos. 6 and 24 in the first round, No. 39 in the second, and No. 70 in the third. The second first-rounder was acquired last year when Berry traded down from No. 2 to No. 5 with the Jacksonville Jaguars — a deal that landed the Browns defensive tackle Mason Graham and running back Quinshon Judkins.
Trade speculation points toward Dallas — and receiver
Three prominent national analysts — ESPN's Mel Kiper, The Athletic's Dane Brugler, and The Ringer's Todd McShay — have each projected a Browns-Cowboys swap, according to BrownsZone. Kiper's latest mock has Cleveland sending picks No. 6 and No. 39 to Dallas in exchange for Nos. 12 and 20.
If the Browns stay put, Carnell Tate — the Ohio State wide receiver — is the name generating the most buzz around Cleveland. Berry compared Tate to a trapeze artist for his acrobatic catching ability, and ESPN sources note that wide receiver is "in play" at the pick regardless of what trade offers materialise.
Berry also drew comparisons between Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and San Francisco 49ers star Christian McCaffrey, though that kind of effusive public praise is widely understood as a negotiating tool to drum up trade interest rather than a firm declaration of intent.
Offensive needs driving the decision
Cleveland overhauled its offensive line heavily in free agency, adding tackle Tytus Howard via trade with Houston and signing guards Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins. Despite that spending, a true left-tackle upgrade and a No. 1 wide receiver remain the organisation's most pressing roster needs.
Berry acknowledged the difficulty of addressing those needs purely through free agency. "The first order of business is to get players that you think have the potential to be a quality starter or a difference-maker, particularly when you're picking high," he said, per NBC Sports.
For more on Cleveland's draft positioning, see our earlier report on the Browns targeting Alabama OT Kadyn Proctor and the latest NFL front-office news across the league.
The 2026 NFL Draft begins Thursday, April 23, at 8 p.m. ET, live on ESPN, ABC, and the ESPN app from Pittsburgh.
