NFL Power Rankings: Browns move up in multiple national rankings after 2026 NFL draft
The Cleveland Browns 2026 NFL draft has fans and national media moving them up their power rankings, even if just a bit
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 25: Cleveland Browns international fan of the year William Comar announces a pick during the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft at Acrisure Stadium on April 25, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Lauren Leigh Bacho/Getty Images) | Getty Images “There’s a gleam, men… Let’s get the gleam. ” The famous, unique, and slightly confusing line from former Cleveland Browns HC Marty Schottenheimer has always stuck out.
It is very Cleveland to have a line that doesn’t exactly fit modern vernacular (even for when he said it back in the 1980s), but resonates with a fanbase. Browns fans have a gleam of hope after the 2026 NFL draft. As fans know, hope has a breeding ground in NFL offseasons, where fans look for a reset and reasons their team will be better.
Cleveland fans have often been waiting for next year, with each offseason bringing in a level of optimism that had been depleted the season prior. The 2026 season may not be the Browns year when it comes to competing for any kind of championship, but the belief is that the very good 2025 NFL draft class has gotten another winner with the 2026 class . A number of NFL Power Rankings have been released after this year’s draft, with Cleveland moving up in all of the ones that are tracking that movement.
That doesn’t mean the Browns are highly (power) ranked: ESPN’s NFL Power Rankings #30, up from #32 The Browns didn’t make a major receiver signing in free agency but double-dipped in the draft, selecting two wideouts with top-40 picks. KC Concepcion (No. 24) is a dynamic pass-catcher; 79% of his receptions resulted in a first down, which ranked 17th in the FBS last season.