In a pleasant turn of events, the Cleveland Browns made it late into the 2020 NFL postseason and are no longer picking in the top half of the NFL Draft. This means the Browns no longer have the luxury of selecting players who have few question marks on their profile and must rely heavily on their scouting and analytics teams.
Additionally, Browns fans need to adjust their expectations on the type of player that comes with picks later in the first round. The Browns will pick at No. 26, much later than usual.
Here is a look back at who went at the 26th spot in the NFL Draft over the last ten years:
2020 – Jordan Love, QB, Green Bay Packers
2019 – Montez Sweat, DE, Washington Football Team
2018 – Calvin Ridley, WR, Atlanta Falcons
2017 – Takkarist McKinley, DE, Atlanta Falcons
2016 – Paxton Lynch, QB, Denver Broncos
2015 – Breshad Perriman, WR, Baltimore Ravens
2014 – Marcus Smith, DE, Philadelphia Eagles
2013 – Datone Jones, DE, Green Bay Packers
2012 – Whitney Mercilus, DE, Houston Texans
2011 – Jonathan Baldwin, WR, Kansas City Chiefs
The 26th pick over the last 10 years has been a mixed bag. Jordan Love didn’t start a game in 2020 behind Aaron Rodgers. Takk McKinley just signed with the Browns on a one-year, prove-it deal. Paxton Lynch is a free agent and hasn’t played since 2017.
Adjusting expectations will be important for everyone as the Browns move towards being a winning organization.
