There’s no sugarcoating it: the Cleveland Browns are ahead of where most people expected them to be in 2026. The Browns are 5-2 coming off a win over the Tennessee Titans, and almost nobody had them at that mark seven games into the season. With the NFL trade deadline set for Nov. 10, Cleveland won’t be sellers like many expected. The Browns could even be buyers, and a veteran pass rusher like Los Angeles Chargers edge rusher Khalil Mack makes sense as a target.

The start puts Cleveland in a position to make an unexpected playoff run. If the Browns go 4-6 the rest of the way, they would finish 9-8 and sit squarely in the playoff conversation.

Browns land more pass rush help in trade idea with AFC foe 

The Browns moved Myles Garrett in the offseason and traded for Jared Verse. So far, Verse hasn’t been the player Cleveland hoped he would be. Through seven games of his Browns tenure, Verse has 17 tackles and no sacks.

Still, the Browns are finding ways to get after the quarterback. Cleveland leads the NFL with 25 sacks, which is a great number considering its top pass rusher doesn’t have one yet. Adding more talent off the edge is something the front office should explore.

On a recent episode of A to Z Sports’ 13 Personnel podcast, Austin Stanley, Easton Freeze, and Ryan Roberts used the A to Z Sports trade simulator to build a deal that could make a good defense a little better. 

Browns receive: EDGE Khalil Mack, 2028 fourth-sound pick 

Chargers receive: 2027 fifth round pick (via Texans), 2028 fifth-round pick

Khalil Mack would give Cleveland another proven edge rusher at a low cost 

The Chargers are 0-6, a spot no one expected them to be in. Mack has still been productive with three sacks and 11 pressures in six starts for the Los Angeles defense. He’s in his 13th season and is 35 years old, so there’s a good chance he wants to do some winning before his career wraps up.

Mack isn’t the player he used to be. He had 17 sacks and earned a Pro Bowl nod in 2023, and he hasn’t reached that level since. Even so, the nine-time Pro Bowler would give the Browns another capable rusher who can bring down the quarterback. He would join a rotation that includes Verse, Isaiah McGuire, Sam Williams, and Derek Barnett, and at worst, Mack looks like the No. 2 pass rusher on this roster right now.

That could be all Cleveland needs down the stretch for this defense to continue to carry the way. The offense hasn’t given much hope through seven weeks about what the end product will look like in the near future, so leaning on the defense is the most logical path forward this season as the offense grows.

A little extra help on that unit could go a long way. The Browns can afford Mack too, as they’d be on the books for just a prorated amount of his $8 million base salary depending on how many weeks are left in the season. 

The only pause with the Browns making this move 

Sending two fifth-round picks and getting a fourth-round pick back along with Mack is a small price for what is likely a rental. This isn’t an all-in move. It won’t burn the Browns, and they can recover from it easily once Mack walks after the season.

If Cleveland reaches the playoffs with Mack helping the push, it would be a nice moment for him late in his career. It would also mean the Browns made the postseason a year earlier than anyone expected with all of their young pieces in place, which points to a bright future.

Roberts did make a fair point about why the Browns might pass on this move. Cleveland has a negative point differential, and all five of its wins have been comebacks decided in the final moments. The front office could look at that and decide it doesn’t want to give up any draft capital for a rental just because the team is winning games it probably shouldn’t. That’s a question the Browns would have to work through before pulling the trigger.

Still, the deal lands a proven player on the cheap. It won’t throw the Browns off schedule as they approach the window of contention they hope to open soon. If Mack has any hesitation, the choice is simple: stay with a winless Chargers team or join a Browns team that keeps finding ways to win, even without much from the offense.

The cost is minimal, and the move would help the defense at least a little at bare minimum. It’s a trade Cleveland should at least think about before Nov. 10.