BEREA, Ohio – Let’s make the main thing the main thing.
Yes, that’s a line from Stephen Covey’s book, “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.”
When it comes to the first round of the Browns’ 2026 draft, they made the main things the main things – as in two things.
1. Pick the best tackle in the draft.
2. Find a big-play receiver.
Let’s start with priority No. 1, at least in my mind – the tackle.
If you want a good left tackle, you usually have to take him in the first round. I knew the Browns loved Spencer Fano. That was the buzz for a few weeks before the draft.
The 6-foot-6, 308-pounder from Utah was the Outland Trophy winner as the best offensive lineman in college football. He was a consensus first-team All-American. He started 11 games at left tackle as a freshman and 24 at right tackle the next two seasons.
“He’s super athletic, very versatile … elite mentally, really smart,” said Browns GM Andrew Berry.
There was no reason to overthink it. You need a tackle, get a premier tackle. Don’t settle for anything less.
Browns GM Andrew Berry traded down from No. 6 to No. 9 and still got his target – Spencer Fano.John Kuntz, cleveland.com
A smart trade
That’s why I was a little nervous when the Browns traded down from No. 6 in the draft to No. 9.
The Browns knew Kansas City wanted the No. 6 pick to take cornerback Mansoor DeLane. But what about Washington (No. 7) and New Orleans (No. 8)? Suppose one of those teams grabbed Fano?
Berry explained that Washington extended the contract of left tackle Laremy Tunsil. The Commanders also drafted right tackle John Conerly in the first round in 2025. They were not in the market for a tackle, and drafted Ohio State linebacker Sonny Styles at No. 7.
Next was New Orleans, which used first-round picks on tackles in the last two drafts. The Saints weren’t going to do it again. They selected Arizona receiver Jordyn Tyson.
Give the Browns credit. They read the draft right. They got their man in Fano, and they added picks in the third and fifth rounds.
It’s hard to catch KC Concepcion in the open field. AP
Search for a receiver
I don’t know if the Browns would have picked Carnell Tate at No. 6, but it didn’t matter. The Ohio State receiver went No. 4 to Tennessee.
My information is the Browns were sold on Fano with the idea being to find a receiver with their No. 24 pick.
Jordyn Tyson is the brother of Cavs forward Jaylon Tyson. Jordyn is a very talented receiver. But the medical report is scary.
It includes a major knee injury in 2022 that required surgery on the ACL and MCL ligaments. He broke his collarbone in 2024. He had hamstring injuries (both legs) in 2025. I didn’t mind the Browns passing on him.
When it came time to draft at No. 24, my pick was Omar Cooper. The Indiana receiver is not flashy, just really good.
The Browns went for KC Concepcion from Texas A&M.
“He’s dynamic,” said Berry. “He’s an outstanding separator (from the defense). He’s really good with the ball in his hands and probably the best punt returner in the class.”
The Browns love KC Concepcion’s athleticism.AP
Big-play guy
My concern about the choice was Concepcion’s history of dropped passes. He had 114 catches in the last two seasons – and 14 drops.
I have a tendency to dwell on the negative when I see a receiver with a history of dropping passes. On tape, the wildly athletic Concepcion makes catches of throws that were off-target. He can leap between two defenders and come down with the ball in his hands.
The Athletic’s draft preview included this:
“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.”
I’m more upbeat than this review because I believe new Browns coach Todd Monken will find different ways to put the ball in the hands of his new glittering toy on offense.
Concepcion won the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile college football player. He ran two punts back for TDs and averaged 18.3 yards per return. He carried the ball 10 times (mostly jet sweeps) and averaged 7.5 yards per rush. He caught nine TD passes.
I asked Berry about the drops.
“I know that gets talked about, but he has natural dexterity,” said the general manager. “It (the drops) is nothing extreme. It’s not an outlier relative to other receivers in the draft class. I know it’s been a primary talking point, but we’re comfortable with KC’s hands.”
Draft expert after draft expert praised Concepcion’s speed and ability to create big plays on short passes – yards after the catch. That is something the Browns desperately need.
The task falls to Monken to figure out how to maximize Concepcion’s athleticism.
