Big plays have come at a premium for Cleveland. Lemon will help create more.

The Browns have too many holes on the offensive line to leave Round 1 without drafting at least one player who can help them up front.

The Browns are completely remaking their offensive line this offseason and would gladly select Fano as a cornerstone piece. Fano, 21, played right tackle over his final two college seasons but also has some experience on the left side. He has the pedigree and athleticism to eventually hold down one spot for a long time and become a top-tier starting tackle. We know the Browns are focused on offense, and for all the arguments about potential answers at quarterback and solutions at wide receiver, there's no argument about the need to add a rock-solid tackle to the mix.

Drafting for need is rarely ideal, but it's necessary here. The Browns need playmakers, multiple, and after going with Fano in the top 10, they use their second first-round pick on Concepcion. The Cleveland offense is getting what might end up as a complete overhaul, but Concepcion fits in any version of the remodel because he's explosive and can contribute at multiple wide receiver positions. There's a chance new Browns coach Todd Monken, the former Baltimore offensive coordinator, views him as at least a little like Zay Flowers. The Browns are focused on the future and can see Concepcion becoming a big part of their path forward.

Makai Lemon is the best WR in the class by my estimation. He'll be best used in the slot, but he won't be limited to it. He lacks blazing speed, but his ability to move and change direction separates him from the rest of the class. He might be only 5-foot-11, but he plays like he's 6-foot-3 on contested balls. He's the kind of WR who will be a QB's best friend, and Cleveland can use one of those.

Coming into the 2025 season, Kadyn Proctor struck me as a player who might be described as "looks like Tarzan, plays like Jane." Thankfully, he played more like Tarzan last season, but there are still too many moments where he looks tired. On one hand, you could argue that an NFL strength and conditioning program could be just what he needs, but I'd quickly counter by saying it's not like Alabama doesn't have that, too! Perhaps you've noticed they've developed quite a few NFL players in Tuscaloosa.

The Browns came into Thursday with two first-round picks (thanks to last year's trade with the Jaguars so Jacksonville could go up to No. 2 for Travis Hunter) and two big needs. Would they go receiver at No. 6 and offensive tackle at No. 24? OT at No. 6 and WR at No. 24? Or would they completely shake things up and entertain a trade?

They ended up going OT-WR ... and then hitting both positions again on Day 2. The Spencer Fano and Austin Barber picks could be the final touches on a complete offensive line rebuild this offseason. The Browns had 14 different offensive line combinations play at least 10 snaps last season, third most in the NFL. Then ... everyone was gone. Wyatt Teller signed with Houston, and Cam Robinson, Jack Conklin, Joel Bitonio and Ethan Pocic are all still unsigned. In their place, Cleveland traded for Tytus Howard, re-signed Teven Jenkins and brought in Elgton Jenkins and Zion Johnson, in addition to getting Dawand Jones back from a knee injury.

But this team needed a left tackle, and Fano could be a solution. He has spent the past two seasons on the right side, but he was a LT in 2023. He stays square to pass rushers and has pop in his hands, but 32⅛-inch arms might ultimately force a move inside. I love that Cleveland was able to trade back, add picks and still get one of the top two tackles in the class. Barber made the opposite change, going from the right side to the left during his college career. He's a great run blocker, but he gets beaten by power a lot in pass protection at 6-foot-7 and 318 pounds. I thought there were better options out there, and Cleveland having to trade up to get him made this pick a little questionable.

At receiver, the Browns landed two of my top eight guys in the class. I have concerns about KC Concepcion's drop issues (seven last season), but he has a nose for the end zone (25 career TDs) and averaged 15.1 yards per catch last season. I said Denzel Boston would have been the right pick in Round 1 ... and Cleveland got him in Round 2. Even though I would have flipped these two players value-wise, the Browns ended up with two really talented pass catchers. That's critical. The Browns' WR room was at the bottom of the NFL in receptions (117), yards (1,467) and TDs (four) last season. Boston takes defenders out of the play with his 6-4 frame and routinely makes tough catches on balls thrown too high or too low. Like Concepcion, he had a healthy YPC in 2025 at 14.2, and he scored 20 touchdowns over the past two seasons.

The major defensive addition was Emmanuel McNeil-Warren. Just sheer value -- my No. 33 prospect at No. 58. Take him out of Toledo and put him in a Power 4 uniform and maybe he goes a little earlier. But I'm not worried about the quality of competition. He flies to the football and generates turnovers (10 forced fumbles, five interceptions).

Among the Day 3 picks, Parker Brailsford and Taylen Green stand out. Brailsford is yet another option for the offensive line, with more than 2,400 snaps at center over his career. And while the Browns don't need any more quarterbacks quantity-wise, Green is an explosive player who ran a 4.36 and jumped 43½ inches in the vertical jump at the combine. He needs to work on his accuracy, but he has a big arm and a lot of attributes.

The Browns received an A-plus from me last year, and the class lived up to expectations. Carson Schwesinger was Defensive Rookie of the Year, and Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin Jr. were the main catalysts of the offense, but all seven picks chipped in at some point during Year 1. I don't know that Cleveland's 2026 group of draft picks will have the same impact, but this is another good group which should have Week 1 roles. Another good draft weekend for the Browns.

The pre-draft perception — for whatever that's ever worth — was that the Browns couldn't wait long to get more needed bodies for both the offensive line and the receiver room. Yet GM Andrew Berry, who seemingly hit last year's draft out of the park, seemed to agree, getting two blockers and two WRs among this first five selections (the fifth guy in that cluster being second-round S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, whom Berry aggressively moved up to rescue at No. 58). But first-round OL Spencer Fano, first-round WR KC Concepcion (obtained thanks to last year's Travis Hunter deal) and second-round WR Denzel Boston all project as immediate starters for a team that seems similar to the Jets in some respects — amassing talent while determining who the franchise QB is (unless sixth-rounder Taylen Green proves Brady-esque, which he certainly isn't physically given his size-speed quotient) — though Cleveland's rebuild seems well ahead of New York's. Your move, Shedeur.