The year is 2026 … and the Browns have still never won the AFC North. Last season's squad at least enabled All-World DE Myles Garrett to break the single-season sack record, but this was otherwise anyone's idea of a bad professional football team.

• 2025: 5-12 (-100 point differential, preseason win total: 4.5)
• Points per game: 16.4 (31st)
• EPA per pass: -0.21 (32nd)
• EPA per rush: -0.12 (26th)
• Points per game against: 22.3 (14th)
• EPA per pass against: -0.09 (3rd)
• EPA per rush against: -0.08 (15th)

The good news: This front office has a pair of first-round picks to help rebuild this flawed roster. The bad news: The ever painful Deshaun Watson contract continues to hamstring this organization, as Cleveland has the fifth-lowest effective cap space in the league entering the 2026 offseason.

What Do The Cleveland Browns Need To Address In The 2026 Offseason?

Need 1: Offensive line

What was somewhat recently a strength is now anything but. Overall, the Browns ranked dead last in pressure rate allowed and their running backs averaged the fewest rushing yards *before* contact in the league. That's a brutal combo, and PFF understandably ranked the unit as the league's second-worst group of 2025.

There are free agents all over the line, as starting LG Joel Bitonio, C Ethan Pocic, RG Wyatt Teller and LT Cam Robinson are all hitting the open market. Bringing back the same group and expecting a meaningful improvement won't be enough—this year is as good a time as any for Cleveland to break their five-year streak of not drafting a single offensive lineman inside the first two rounds.

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Need 2: Quarterback

This passing game was … horrific last season.

• Pass yards per game: 165.1 (31st)
• Yards per pass attempt: 5.6 (31st)
• Passer rating: 70 (32nd)
• EPA per dropback: -0.25 (32nd)

The three worst quarterbacks in EPA per dropback over the last two seasons are Shedeur Sanders, Watson and Dillon Gabriel—AKA the Browns current QB room. Maybe a new offensive system and natural improvement brings out something other than league-worst QB play here, but Cleveland can't overly count on any of them.

At a minimum it'd make sense if the organization brings in someone like Marcus Mariota or Malik Willis to push and/or mentor the team's second-year signal-callers.

Need 3: Wide receiver

Jerry Jeudy is also likely to hang around at least for another season, although he's tough to rely on after averaging a career-high 72.3 yards per game in 2024 … and a career-low 35.4 in 2025. Isaiah Bond and Cedric Tillman have made a few splash plays in the last two seasons, but neither has done enough to exactly be penciled in as anything close to a high-end starter.

The Browns have the league's fifth fewest 2026 dollars devoted to their wide receiver room—it'd behoove them to use at least one of their four top-70 picks to upgrade the position.

Honorable mention

Young studs Quinshon Judkins and Harold Fannin are holding down the fort at running back and tight end, although the former is recovering from a season-ending dislocated ankle and fractured fibula, and it's unclear if the new coaching staff will view the latter as a legit every-down option at the position. More tight end depth is needed regardless with David Njoku hitting free agency … Defensive rookie of the year Carson Schwesinger is awesome, but additional help at linebacker could be needed if Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (neck) isn't ready to go for 2026 … There's a similar sentiment at corner: Depth will be needed if Martin Emerson fails to be the same player coming off a torn Achilles.

If I were GM …

I'd commit as many resources as possible to re-tooling the offensive line. Cleveland won a few too many games to be in the conversation for a top quarterback, so taking steps to improve what's been one of the league's' worst offensive environments ahead of 2027 might be the best move for now. The Browns join the Broncos as the only two franchises to take just one offensive lineman in Rounds 1-3 over the last five drafts—doubling or even tripling that total with their bounty of early-round picks will mightily help whoever emerges as the team's next hopeful franchise quarterback.

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