Cleveland Browns shake up 2026 NFL Draft by trading with the Dallas Cowboys in latest ESPN 2-round mock
We are days away from the 2026 NFL Draft and noise is turning up. Mel Kiper has the Cleveland Browns making a first round trade with the Dallas Cowboys.
There’s just over a week to go until the 2026 NFL Draft and it’s the most important three days remaining for the Cleveland Browns this offseason.
Cleveland looks to have hit on a good draft haul a year ago, but general manager Andrew Berry needs to follow it up to speed up the rebuild. The Browns will have two first-round picks and there’s plenty of talk around whether or not they’ll pick where they’re currently slated to at Nos. 6 and 24 in the first round.
ESPN’s mock draft has the Browns making a big move
Mel Kiper Jr. proposed the idea of the Browns and Cowboys swapping picks early in the draft. Cleveland would be sending Nos. 6 and 39 to the Cowboys for Nos. 12 and 20. The Browns would be moving back six spots in the first round to in turn move up 19 spots from there second round to summarize the trade.
Below is a look at the players Kiper has the Browns taking.
Round 1, Pick 12: Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama
Round 1, Pick 20: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington
Round 1, Pick 24: Jermod McCoy, CB, Tennessee
Does this make sense for the Browns?
I really do love the idea of the Browns making this trade, but the direction they went with the picks is what I question. Proctor has been all hype since high school but has never really been able to reach the level of play that’s believed to be there. It’s a reach for the Browns on a player who has as high a ceiling as any tackle in this draft, but they’d be relying on him to keep his weight down and develop quickly early.
Taking Boston at 20 is a pick I’m comfortable with. I’d prefer the Brown to take Carnell Tate if he’s there at No. 6, but taking Boston later in the first isn’t a bad backup plan. Boston can win deep and has the makeup of a true WR1 with elite ball skills downfield. It’s a deep wideout class but only a couple have the potential to be a true No. 1 and Boston is one of them.
There are concerns around the knee for McCoy following a 2026 season at Tennessee where he sat out recovering from injury. We’re all well aware of Jimmy Haslam’s impact in Cleveland and his love for the Volunteers. When healthy, I don’t believe there’s a better cornerback in the draft. If McCoy can stay on the field he has a chance to be a CB1 in the NFL. It would be a best player available style pick for the Browns.
Overall, this isn’t a draft haul I’d want the Browns to come out with. The trade is good, but Cleveland could make better decisions with the picks.
