The NFL draft is a critical part of any franchise building a sustained winner. So with the Cleveland Browns entering the most recent draft with several premium picks, it was that much more important for a team that was rebuilding. 

The best rosters find quality players all throughout the draft. Fourth-round gems that become key starters and seventh-round guys who become special teams aces. However, if you want to build a winning team, then hitting on the first-round picks is basically a non-negotiable. 

In the 2026 NFL draft, the Browns had two first-round picks. They took left tackle Spencer Fano 9th overall and then KC Concepcion with the 24th overall pick. These two are set up to be pillars of the Browns' offense in the future.

So far, they are off to a good start. On Thursday, Ryan Wilson of CBS Sports graded every first-round pick of the 2026 draft. In this article, he had some very positive things to say about the Browns rookies.

He gave Fano an A- grade. He had this to say about his performance so far this year. 

“Cleveland appears to have found its long-term answer at left tackle. Fano's footwork, balance and ability to recover against high-end edge rushers were some of the reasons I liked him so much coming out of Utah. And even though he's moved from right to left tackle for the Browns, he's doing a lot of the same things really well.”

While Concepcion didn’t score quite as high, that is to be expected of a later pick. Despite that, his B+ grade was just short of glowing.

“His suddenness and precise route running have immediately translated. Browns coaches have also praised his preparation and ability to learn multiple receiver positions, giving Cleveland more ways to get him involved.”