INDIANAPLOLIS – Executive Vice President of Football Operations and General Manager Andrew Berry and the Browns staff have begun their week at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine to gather information about potential prospects as they prepare for the 2026 NFL Draft.
Berry and the Browns front office staff will use the week to evaluate talent and meet with potential prospects as the calendar inches closer to April.
"The past month it's been fast and furious with Todd (Monken) assembling the coaching staff and getting prepared for Indianapolis. It's really been a great past couple of weeks," Berry said. "Todd's been a really great partner. I'm really excited about the group of coaches that he's put together that we're putting the finishing touches on and coming back down to glorious Indianapolis where we get to have our first look, so to speak, of this upcoming draft class. We expect it to be a productive week with meeting a number of the young men and players that we're going to have interest in come April, as well as have good conversations with some of our own guys and impending free agents. So, a lot of business to do. I feel really good about where we're headed."
Berry met with the media on Tuesday and covered a variety of topics on the draft, free agency and more. Here are the main takeaways from his time with the media.
Outlook on the draft
The Browns hold 10 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including two in the first round at No. 6 and No. 24. They also have their own picks in Rounds 2-5. In addition, they also have a fifth-round pick from Las Vegas (QB Kenny Pickett trade), a fifth-round pick from Cincinnati (QB Joe Flacco trade), a sixth-round pick from Chicago (DE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka trade) and a seventh-round pick from Seattle (C Nick Harris trade).
As the Browns prepare to add young, impactful players to the roster, Berry discussed the broader perspective on using their picks.
"The draft is really for highest sustainable impact," Berry said. "And that's not to say that need or positional value doesn't have some role in that. But at the same time, it's not like you're just going to match your picks to the best of whatever. I think about a year ago at this time, I wouldn't have guessed that the draft would have played out positionally the way that it did in 2025. You have to be flexible. You have to be adaptable in terms of where the player pool and where the talent pool is. I think the good thing about this coaching staff, really in all three phases, is they are very adaptable to using their best players. So, you have to be open to the fact that it may not look exactly the way that you'd envision it or that you'd hope that it would look coming out of it."
Berry also explained that the Browns are entering a two-year period in which they are at the top of the league in draft capital and exiting a three-year period where they had the least amount of draft capital. Their available draft capital has an impact both on draft strategy and risk aversion.
As Berry and the Browns create their draft strategy over the coming months, Berry is also staying open to the option of trading the sixth overall pick. Last year, the Browns traded back from the second overall pick to the fifth overall pick, while adding other draft capital, to take DT Mason Graham.
Approach to free agency
In the midst of preparation for the draft, the new league year and free agency is set to begin on March 11. The Browns have a number of veteran players who will become unrestricted free agents when their contracts expire at the start of the new league year, and Cleveland could look to sign players to fill certain position groups on the roster.
Berry said he anticipates that there is a chance that they will be more aggressive during this year's free agency period than they were in 2025. The Browns signed 11 players during free agency in 2025 ahead of the draft.
"It'll be targeted and opportunistic," Berry said. "I think realistically we may be one more offseason away from being like hyper-aggressive in that window. But if there's something that fits us, fits our roster, fits our timeline, then it's certainly a swing we'll take."
Berry added the Browns are still building out the new core of the team, and they want to have open roster spots for young players who are ready to contribute and grow.
Prognosis on quarterback room
The Browns will have more decisions to make around the quarterback position during the offseason and training camp as to who will be their starting quarterback for the 2026 season. Currently, Cleveland's quarterback room consists of Dillon Gabriel, Shedeur Sanders and Deshaun Watson.
As Berry and the Browns work through those questions, he said that all of their quarterbacks, including Watson as he returns from an Achilles injury that caused him to miss the 2025 season, would be in the conversation. Berry added that they would expect any player in the room to compete and earn their role.
"We believe in competition at every spot. That's no different than quarterback," Berry said. "Deshaun's been working really hard. He's been working his tail off and like I said, we're excited to go into April with all of our players across the roster because competition is something that we really believe in."
Berry said he is also keeping the possibility open to adding an outside player into the conversation at quarterback, either in the veteran market or a rookie quarterback.
"I think there's always the possibility," Berry said. "But we have a long way to go before we get to that point. So, we expect to have a competitive room, like that's going to be important to us, but what that looks like, I can't exactly define that as we sit here today."
Update on Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah
Berry provided an update on LB Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah's playing status for the upcoming 2026 season after he was placed on reserve/physically unable to perform list in May 2025 and missed the 2025 season.
"We are dealing with Jeremiah from month to month," Berry said. "I'm not necessarily overly optimistic. But there isn't a hard deadline for which we have to make some type of binding decision. "
Owusu-Koramoah first sustained a neck injury in Week 8 of the 2024 season against the Ravens after a collision with RB Derrick Henry. He was carted off the field and taken to a local hospital for further evaluation, then later released from the hospital following that evaluation. He missed the remainder of the 2024 season.
The Pro Bowl linebacker has appeared in 49 career games and recorded 302 tackles, eight sacks, three interceptions, 17 passes defensed, six forced fumbles and 40 tackles for loss. He was drafted by the Browns as a second-round pick in 2021.
Other injury updates
Berry also touched on the progress of other players who were injured during the 2025 season, including OT Dawand Jones, RB Quinshon Judkins and C Ethan Pocic.
Jones sustained a Lateral Collateral Ligament (LCL) tear and hamstring avulsion in Week 3, an injury that required surgery and caused him to miss the remainder of the season.
"He's progressing well. He's been in there every day," Berry said of Jones. "He's done a really nice job with his rehab and he's right on track."
Judkins fractured his fibula and dislocated his ankle in Week 16, injuries that required surgery and caused him to miss the final two games of the season. However, Berry believes it is realistic for Judkins to be ready for camp.
"He's made really nice progress. He's in the training room every day," Berry said of Judkins. "He's out of the boot. He's actually started his pool running and everything like that, so he's done a really nice job with his recovery. "
Pocic tore his Achilles in Week 14 and missed the final four games of the season. Pocic is also set to be an unrestricted free agent when free agency begins on March 11.
"I actually got a text from Ethan last week. His last checkup was a really positive update. (Pocic) will do everything in his power to make sure that he gets back to full health, and he'll work his tail off," Berry said. "I'd say like everything's on the table depending on how these different player markets shake out, but I wouldn't necessarily commit to one firm thing either way."
