NFL Network's Daniel Jeremiah unveils a curious plan for Cleveland Browns to use their two first-round picks, addressing major needs along the way
With two first-round picks at their disposal, the Cleveland Browns have an opportunity to really overhaul their struggling offense.
The needs are obvious. Cleveland desperately needs help at the wide receiver position. Perhaps more pressingly, with all five original starting offensive lineman from Week 1 in 2025 set to be free agents, they have a lot of holes to fill in the trenches as well.
With an assortment of directions the Browns could go, many early mock drafts have them snagging one of each of those positions at pick No. 6 or Pick No. 24. Enter NFL Draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah, who proposed an interesting draft strategy for the Browns to follow.
"If they took [Francis] Mauigoa and that was their first pick out of Miami," he said during his annual pre-NFL Combine Zoom conference call. "And then they were table to move up a little bit from 24, and I know people will say you don't move up for a guard, that's a no-no, but man, you could end up with [Olaivavega] Ioane and Mauigoa, you've all the sudden got two, potentially really dominant players for that offensive line."
Mauigoa is considered a top tackle in the class, however, some experts project that he may have to shift to guard at the NFL level after playing right tackle in college.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah said he believes Ioane is actually the best o-lineman in the entire draft, but guard is not a premium position, which makes him more likely to go in the teens rather than the top 10.
Still, it's an interesting strategy that Jeremiah proposes to focus solely on shoring up multiple spots on the o-line with young talent and worrying about wide receiver and other needs later.
The Browns are in an interesting spot with the No. 6 overall pick, where some top players on defense could also be available. That could pave the way for a trade back to then take someone like Ioane and then still go o-line again at 24.
With free agency two-and-a-half weeks away, how GM Andrew Berry addresses some of Cleveland's biggest roster holes will shape how they approach their two first rounders come April.
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