If there was one pick from the Cleveland Browns’ 2026 Draft that they made a reach for, it was in round three for tackle Austin Barber. On Friday night, Cleveland traded up in the third round and selected the tackle from Florida.
It was a slight reach for the Browns as Barber was projected to be a fourth-round pick, and Cleveland got him near the back end of the third. The reach was slight, but it doesn’t negate the fact that Cleveland got their hands on a really high-quality player.
Here are three things to know about Barber, who is one of three new members of the Cleveland offensive line.
1. Athleticism tells the story
Cleveland had a very clear plan of attack in the 2026 Draft. You needed to be an athlete to be on their board, and Barber is that. General manager Andrew Berry has said several times that he views the offensive line in some cases as interchangeable pieces. Left tackles are just as valuable as right tackles, left guards and right guards are the same. As a player, to be valuable in Cleveland, you need to show the ability to play both sides if needed.
Insert Barber. He is an athletic freak who started games at both sides in his college career. He immediately slots in as Cleveland’s backup swing tackle and will be competing with Dawand Jones for that title.
2. Best Ability is Availability
Not only is Barber athletic, but he is also very durable. He played in 39 games over his career, but wasn’t a starter until 2023, when he played in nine games. He then finished in 2024, playing 13 games, and then played 12 games in 2025. Since 2023, he played 1,960 snaps, which was the third most in the SEC for players who played in that time frame.
3. Physical in the run and pass game
It doesn’t matter what the play call is; Barber is going to make his opponent pay for it. Whether it is in the run game or the pass game, Barber is finishing the play. He meets every defender with a ton of physicality and violence at the point of contact. This is something that you can’t teach; you either have it or you don’t.
Honorable Mention: Just watch his draft phone call and try not to get excited
Just watch this. This is the type of energy Cleveland needs in their building.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns NFL Draft: 3 things to know about third round OT Austin Barber
Reporting by Anthony Moeglin, Browns Wire / Browns Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
