2026 NFL draft: Safest, riskiest Top 25 prospect; impact on Browns?
A look at the top prospects in the 2026 NFL draft shows some that are safe, some that are risks. Cleveland Browns options?
BLOOMINGTON, INDIANA, UNITED STATES - 2026/04/01: Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws a pass to a former teammate on Pro Day. The Indiana Hoosiers held their NFL Pro Day, giving draft-eligible players the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of scouts, coaches, and executives from the National Football League. The event serves as a key step in the pre-draft process, allowing prospects to perform drills and position workouts to improve their chances ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft.
(Photo by Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images) Unless there is a new rumor or move made, there is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the 2026 NFL draft . Until proven otherwise, despite a previous suggestion , many will assume that the Cleveland Browns are either drafting a wide receiver, an offensive tackle, and/or trading down in the first round of the draft. We can mock draft in a million ways, including our more “win-now” version published on Wednesday morning, but the Browns will have to wait through a number of picks, with a shorter window between selections , to find out what GM Andrew Berry will do.
Given Berry’s NFL draft history , Cleveland fans are doubtful of this front office’s ability to make good decisions. In response to a big Myles Garrett trade package possibility , we saw this as the start of a response: In no way do I trust the Browns in a draft. That means, as this title indicates, fans are more likely to assume whoever Cleveland takes this year is the riskiest prospect to bust and whoever they pass over that they should have taken was the safest option.
A look at the Top 25 prospects in the 2026 NFL draft, according to the Consensus Big Board , gives us this list: QB Fernando Mendoza LB Arvell Reese Edge David Bailey RB Jeremiyah Love LB Sonny Styles OT Francis Mauigoa S Caleb Downs WR Carnell Tate Edge Rueben Bain CB Mansoor Delane OT Spencer Fano WR Jordyn Tyson WR Makai Lemon OT Monroe Freeling CB Jermod McCoy iOL Olaivavega Ioane TE Kenyon Sadiq S Dillon Thieneman OT Kadyn Proctor Edge Keldric Faulk Edge Akheem Mesidor WR Omar Cooper Jr. WR Kevin Concepcion S Emmanuel McNeil-Warren WR Denzel Boston Trying to identify who is a risk and who is safe always starts with injuries. To some extent, those can’t be predicted, but there are indicators.