Browns general manager Andrew Berry opted for more draft picks and a defensive lineman instead of a “unicorn.”
After trading the second overall pick to Jacksonville and the chance to get two-way star Travis Hunter, Cleveland selected Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5 in the NFL draft on Thursday night.
“We felt like it was a fantastic opportunity for our organization to go down three spots and add a player in the trenches,” Berry said.
Instead of taking Hunter, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner and a playmaker at both wide receiver and cornerback, Cleveland got Jacksonville’s second- and fourth-rounders this year and the Jaguars’ 2026 first-rounder.
“They traded back for a reason. They wanted to pick me,” Graham said.
The added benefits for the Browns are that they have two of the top five picks in the second round, which is viewed by many as being deeper compared to previous years, along with an additional first-round selection next year.
The Browns will have four picks — two each in the second and third rounds — on Friday.
