The Cleveland Browns did a bunch of work along the offensive line in free agency, but there’s a glaring hole to be filled at left tackle. 

Cleveland has two first-round picks and two glaring needs between left tackle and wide receiver. Picking at No. 6 and No. 24 in the draft will give the Browns options, but what if they filled one of those needs in a timely trade before the draft? 

Browns add left tackle ahead of NFL draft in proposed trade idea 

Fox’s Ralph Vacchiano recently floated trade ideas for every team in the AFC, and his idea for the Browns was another trade with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In the proposed idea, the Browns trade a conditional 2027 sixth-round pick to the Jaguars for OT Walker Little. 

“Trading for a quality tackle isn’t easy, because they’re hard to find. But the 6-7, 325-pound Little lost his job in Jacksonville last season, and then the Jags signed his replacement, Cole Van Lanen, to a three-year, $51 million deal. Little is a valuable, versatile backup for Jacksonville, but he’s also got two years, $25 million left on his own contract. The Browns’ line is a mess, and they need better protection for whichever quarterback they go with. Given Little’s contract and the fact he’s coming off a down season, he won’t cost more than a Day 3 pick, even though his talent exceeds that.”

For starters, the Browns’ offensive line isn’t really a mess. There’s been a lot of turnover, but they signed free agent G Zion Johnson as well as G/C Elgton Jenkins in free agency while bringing back Teven Jenkins. Cleveland also traded for Tytus Howard from the Houston Texans. The Browns could find another guard or center in the draft, but they have four of five spots filled if they need to play football tomorrow. 

Little started 14 games for the Jaguars last season and he’s been a starter the last three years for the most part. At 27 years old, the Browns very well could get a couple of years out of the former Stanford standout. 

Trading for Little would allow the Browns not to be pigeonholed into forcing a left tackle selection early on in the draft. Cleveland then could load up on wide receiver talent or fill a smaller need on the roster elsewhere. 

With the majority of the top offensive tackle prospects better suited on the right side, there are just a couple of names like Caleb Lomu, Spencer Fano, Monroe Freeling, and Kadyn Proctor making sense. 

Cleveland has some big decisions on their hands over the next few weeks with the draft and any trades it can make. Getting a starter-level left tackle before the draft would allow them to be more flexible over the first and second day of the event at least.