BEREA — The Cleveland Browns continued to wheel and deal to help their needs on the offensive side of the ball coming into the 2026 NFL Draft.
Trading back into the third round with the Los Angeles Chargers at pick No. 86, they doubled up on one of those needs by selecting Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber. Here’s our instant draft grade of the pick and our rapid analysis of the pick.
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Florida offensive tackle Austin Barber to Browns at pick No. 86 NFL draft grade: Instant reaction
Grade: C+
Why: Trading up for a developmental tackle is something of a roll of the dice, especially considering Barber could end up moving inside at guard. However, as you get later into the second and third days, that’s what you’re going to see. There just seemed like better options available at the position.
Chris Easterling can be reached at ceasterling@thebeaconjournal.com. Read more about the Browns at www.beaconjournal.com/sports/browns. Follow him on X at @ceasterlingABJ. Sign up for Browns Insider newsletter at https://profile.beaconjournal.com/newsletters/browns-insider/
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Browns draft grade, breaking down why they took Austin Barber
Reporting by Chris Easterling, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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