Cleveland Browns 2026 draft: How did the first round grade out?

With Carnell Tate coming off the board before the Browns were on the clock, trading down and getting Fano, arguably the best tackle in this draft, along with an early third-round pick, was great value. I’m not as concerned about Fano’s shorter arms than others. Concepcion also adds much-needed electricity to the Browns’ passing attack. He was the Browns’ first first-round receiver since Corey Coleman in 2016, and he’s a good player to end that drought, although Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. may have been a better choice.

Grade A-

Nick Baumgardner and Scott Dochterman at The Athletic:

Spencer Fano: The Browns have plenty of tackles, but none of them stood out — until now. Fano, whom Dane Brugler graded in “The Beast” as this draft’s top offensive tackle, will step in as an immediate starter. The only question is: On which side of the O-line is he going to play?

Fano won the Outland Trophy last season as the nation’s top interior lineman and was a unanimous first-team All-American. He largely played right tackle in college, where he made 25 of his 36 career starts. His arm length (32 1/8 inches) is a concern, especially if he gets a look on the left side, but he’s physical and will be a great asset as a blocker in front of Cleveland’s running back duo of Quinshon Judkins and Dylan Sampson. The Browns improved, for the right value, at a position of need.

Grade: B-plus

KC Concepcion: Concepcion’s ability to go from 0 to 60 in a hiccup is unmatched in this class. He moves like a jet ski on smooth water, whether in a straight line or in and out of breaks. A terrific athlete in space who can make tacklers look silly after a catch or on a kick return, Concepcion is one of the most electric playmakers this draft had to offer.

He’s also small (5-11, 196 pounds) and had major issues with drops throughout his college career. His role is going to be limited offensively in the NFL. Though the Browns should be able to get some special teams juice here, their quarterback play is going to need to be much better than it currently stacks up to make this pick really sing.

Grade: B-plus

Chad Reuter at NFL.com:

The Browns were the first team to trade down on Thursday night, receiving third- and fifth-round picks from Kansas City to drop from No. 6 to No. 9. That was a strong move considering they still landed the first offensive tackle off the board. I don’t believe Fano’s lack of length will be an issue at the next level. His footwork and tenacity will allow him to succeed.

Cleveland used its second first-round pick – acquired from the Jaguars in last year’s trade for Travis Hunter – on a very talented receiver in Concepcion. He can make big plays as a receiver, especially after the catch, and as a kick returner. He’ll need to become a more reliable pass catcher, though.

Grade: A

Vinnie Iyer at The Sporting News:

Spencer Fano: The Browns were locked so much into (Carnell) Tate to help their offense early that treading down and adding more draft capital made sense once the Titans took the top wide receiver. With Tyson also gone, Cleveland pivoted toward working on its line rebuild. Fano can be a right tackle option for the team, but it’s probable he starts right away at guard with the Browns turning the page from former top starters Wyatt Teller and Joel Bitonio.

Grade: B

KC Concepcion: The Browns did need to get wide receiver help badly in this draft, but as they have no reliable receivers with size outside, this was a curious way to address the position after the Titans took Tate away from them. Concepcion operates better as a complementary big playmaker with his speed and quickness vs. a steady “X”. Concepcion would have been better off going to a team with an established No. 1, too.

Grade: C

Ben Linsey at PFF:

Spencer Fano: The Browns traded back with Kansas City and still had their pick of the top offensive linemen on the board. Fano can move along the offensive line, giving Cleveland the flexibility to field its “best five” after adding several veteran offensive linemen in free agency and overhauling the unit. Fano has played primarily right tackle over the past two seasons, earning 80.0-plus PFF grades in both years, after playing left tackle in his first season at Utah.

Grade: Very Good

KC Concepcion: The expectation was that Cleveland would come out of the draft with an offensive lineman and a wide receiver to bolster an offense that needed more talent. That’s exactly what happened. Concepcion isn’t going to come in and be a traditional “X” receiver for Cleveland, but he can work as a “Z” and in the slot while bringing after-the-catch ability to the Browns’ offense.

Grade: Good

Mel Kiper at ESPN:

Everyone talked about how the Browns had to leave Round 1 with an offensive tackle and a wide receiver. But doing that and picking up extra middle-round picks after trading back from No. 6? That’s impressive work by general manager Andrew Berry. Once on the clock at No. 9, Cleveland took Fano, who was my No. 2 offensive tackle and is an extremely versatile lineman.

Cleveland is remaking this line, bringing in Tytus Howard, Zion Johnson, and Elgton Jenkins. But Fano is going to be the key option. He plays with power and quickness, and he gave up only one sack over the past two seasons. The question now: Will he stay at tackle, or will his 32⅛-inch arms kick him inside?

The next Browns pick checked the other box. To be clear, I thought Concepcion might fall a little bit, and he was my eighth-best receiver. I’m not sure he was the right receiver to take here. But he’s explosive and can do work underneath. Not quite an A-plus first round – Denzel Boston would have done it for me there – but I have to give Cleveland praise for hitting its two big needs and getting some picks back in a trade.

Grade: In the Winners group

Danny Kelly at The Ringer:

Spencer Fano: Things fell really nicely for the Browns here, who not only picked up a pair of mid-round selections from the Chiefs to move back three spots, but still landed a much-needed addition to their offensive line. They get their guy in Fano, an easy-moving right tackle who plays with grit and determination. It’s not sexy, but the Browns played this right.

Grade: A

KC Concepcion: I like this pick for the Browns, who pick up a three-level playmaker in Concepcion. The former Aggies star is electric with the ball in his hands. He complements Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman really well and gives the offense a much-needed boost in the pass game. He can make life easier on whoever ends up under center for Cleveland in 2026 and beyond.

Grade: A

What do you say, Browns fans? Did the media get it right with the grades? Let us know in the comments!