Cleveland Browns 2026 mock draft: Who is the pick in Round 3?
· Yahoo Sports
The Cleveland Browns, like most NFL teams, have found the third round of the NFL Draft to be a mixed bag when it comes to selecting players.
For every Dave Logan, Charlie Hall, or Harold Fannin Jr., there have been Siaki Ika, Anthony Schwartz, or Travis Wilson.
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General manager Andrew Berry has the opportunity to impact the team’s present situation in the 2026 NFL Draft with two selections in the first round, and a second-round pick that is No. 39 overall.
But it would be beneficial if Berry could land a player in the third round with the No. 70 overall selection who can at least contribute in a meaningful way.
With that in mind, let’s run through some of the national mock drafts to see who the Browns could be selecting in the third round of this year’s draft. Included in each mock are the players the Browns selected in the first two rounds to add some context.
NFL.com’s Chad Reuter: Christen Miller, DT, Georgia- R1: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (No. 6 overall)
- R1: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State (No. 22 overall after trade with the Los Angeles Chargers)
- R2: Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson (No. 39 overall)
The 6-foot-4 and 321-pound Miller played four years for the Bulldogs, appearing in 43 games and totaling 64 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks.
According to his draft profile from NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:
PFSN: Sam Hecht, C, Kansas StateMiller is an even-front nose tackle who can rattle pads and gain early advantages at the point of attack. He has good stack-and-shed against single blocks but lacks the prototypical mass of a space-eater. He will lose his anchor to double teams and strong-angle blocks at times. He’s average at matching lateral movement off the snap but is generally aware of play design and hustles across gaps to squeeze run lanes. He’ll continue to bulk up and should become a good starter who is more consistent than dominant along the interior.
- R1: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (No. 6 overall)
- R1: Jordyn Tyson, WR, Arizona State (No. 24 overall)
- R2: Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State (No. 39 overall)
The 6-foot-4 and 303-pound Hecht spent four years with the Wildcats, playing in 42 career games. He likely needs to add some strength, but he is considered a technically sound player, which is nice to have in a center.
According to PFSN:
PFF’s Gordon McGuinness: Cole Payton, QB, North Dakota StateCleveland brought guard/center Elgton Jenkins over from Green Bay in free agency on a two-year deal. I think using their fourth pick in this draft on a potential center of the future in Sam Hecht is a promising decision.
- R1: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (No. 6 overall)
- R1: Omar Cooper Jr., WR, Indiana (No. 24 overall)
- R2: Zion Young, DE, Missouri (No. 39 overall)
Payton was only a one-year starter for the Bison and attempted just 58 passes in the four seasons before that. His 2025 season was decent – a 72 percent completion rate, with 2,719 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and just four interceptions, while rushing for 894 yards.
According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, the 6-foot-3 and 232-pound Payton is:
San Diego Union-Tribune’s Eddie Brown: D’Angelo Ponds, CB Indiana… a dual-threat, single-season FCS starter with good size. He’s a lefty with shoddy mechanics and subpar arm talent, but he still manages to deliver throws with touch to all three levels. He lacks drive velocity to dot throws into tight windows and might not have the timing needed to outfox pro zone defenders, though. He’s not shifty but excels when short yardage is needed and has build-up speed for explosive runs once he gets rolling. Payton projects as a QB3 and will require packaged plays to take advantage of his rushing ability until he proves himself a functional pocket passer.
- R1: David Bailey, DE, Texas Tech (No. 6 overall)
- R1: Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama (No. 24 overall)
- R2: Germie Bernard, WR, Alabama (No. 39 overall)
Ponds may be a little bit short for the position at 5-foot-9, but he makes up for that by being productive, as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein points out in his draft profile:
Beacon Journal’s Chris Easterling: Connor Lew, C, AuburnPonds is a productive perimeter cornerback trapped in a smaller body, but he’s not lacking in confidence or coverage tenacity. He’s tremendously competitive, and winning seems to follow him at each stop. He matches press releases with good slide quickness and has the speed to stay in-phase as routes travel vertically. Eye discipline, instincts, and trigger quickness fuel his zone work and catch disruption. Size limitations will likely push him to nickelback, where mismatches against bigger bodies and physical challenges from run games will test his playmaking/durability. Ponds is a likely Day 2 pick who will be an above-average starting nickelback in the NFL.
- R1: Monroe Freeling, OT, Georgia (No. 6 overall)
- R1: Denzel Boston, WR, Washington (No. 24 overall)
- R2: Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee (No. 39 overall)
The 6-foot-3 and 310-pound Lew appeared in 30 games during three seasons with the Tigers. He is also recovering from an ACL injury suffered last October, so his availability is on hold for the moment.
According to Easterling:
A true center was not something the Browns acquired over the first week of free agency, although Elgton Jenkins certainly can and has played it before. They continue to talk up Luke Wypler as well, but his rookie deal is up at the end of this season, also. Lew was the top center on the board when the pick came up, and it makes sense to at least try to provide some younger fortification.
What do you think, Browns fans? Would you like to see the Browns select any of these players in Round 3? Or would you go in a different direction? Share your thoughts in the comments.