The Cleveland Browns have flipped the script on the season and could be looking to be buyers at the trade deadline to maintain their first-place standing in the AFC North. They could use offensive line help, but players like Quentin Nelson are not typically available at the deadline.

The Browns could use a bolster at defensive end, and there are several options that could be good fits. 

The defensive line has been good as a whole, and they are second in the NFL with 20 sacks. However, an improvement at the defensive end position could make them even better. The current starters are Jared Verse and Isaiah McGuire. 

Verse came in as a reigning Defensive Rookie of the Year, but he has had zero sacks this season. McGuire got his chance to start after an injury to Alex Wright, and he has performed solidly with three sacks. 

The defensive end group is rounded out by Derek Barnett and Sam Williams, both acquired after roster cut downs due to the Wright injury. The Indianapolis Colts shipped off DeForest Buckner for a fourth-round pick, in which the Browns have three in 2027. These defensive ends can help elevate the Browns’ strength to be even more dominant:

.@JFowlerESPN lists the Browns as a fit to trade for:

- EDGE Khalil Mack
- EDGE Jermaine Johnson
- EDGE YaYa Diaby pic.twitter.com/Eau26cu7Ew

— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 28, 2026

Khalil Mack, Los Angeles Charges

The former All-Pro has three sacks in six games this season. He is 35 years old and is in the last year of his contract. Mack is similar to Buckner, and at most, a fourth-round pick should be sufficient to land him. 

The Browns’ defense has a lot of leaders on it, but they are inexperienced. Mack has seen everything an NFL offense can throw at him, and he can share his knowledge with the rest of the unit. 

Jermaine Johnson, Tennessee Titans

Johnson is on a lowly Titans team that should be selling off parts to get as much as draft capital as possible. He has three sacks and has played in every game this season. He is a free agent after the season and could be a nice depth piece to down the stretch. 

He can be had for a late-round pick and maybe even a pick swap in the Browns' favor. He is only 27 years old, and if he puts together a solid last half of the season for the Browns, then they can re-sign him to a longer deal to stabilize the position. 

YaYa Diaby, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 

The Buccaneers may be sellers, as their season has not played out the way they had hoped after extending Baker Mayfield. Diaby has three sacks for the Buccaneers this season and is 27 years old. Diaby was a third-round draft pick of the Buccaneers and has 22 career sacks. 

Diaby is in the last year of his rookie contract, and like Johnson, if he is productive, then he can be eligible for an extension. 

The Browns' defensive line has caused a lot of havoc in the backfield this season, but most of that pressure is coming from the interior. They could use some help on the outside to provide containment when a quarterback tries to escape. 

The run defense has struggled this season when Grant Delpit or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren has not played close to the line of scrimmage. An addition of a run-stopping defensive end can free them up to play in coverage. 

These players would not take much in return for a trade, and the Browns have plenty of ammunition to obtain their services. The young roster has arrived at least a year early, and they should consider a trade to help win the division this year.