AFC North Draft Preview, Part 1: What the Browns and Steelers Need Most in the 2026 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns and Pittsburgh Steelers are both dealing with versions of the same problem. Neither has a clean offensive identity right now.

The difference is how they are trying to fix it.

Cleveland Browns: This Draft Has To Build an Offense That Actually Works

The Browns have a lot of picks and a lot of needs. What they do not have is an offense anyone fears.

That is what this draft has to change.

Cleveland holds picks No. 6 and No. 24 in the first round, along with multiple Day 2 selections, which gives the front office real flexibility if it gets the board right. Wide receiver and left tackle sit at the top of the list, and both are hard to patch without using premium picks. The Browns can talk about staying flexible all they want, but this draft starts with offense.

There is real tension at No. 6. Stay there and take the best offensive player available, or move down and try to spread the value across multiple needs. That decision probably comes down to how the first five picks fall and whether someone like Carnell Tate (wide receiver, Ohio State) or Spencer Fano (offensive tackle, Utah) is still there. Kadyn Proctor (offensive tackle, Alabama) is another name that fits the type of traits Cleveland has chased before, even if that pick would not be popular.

The second first-rounder is where the draft can start to make more sense. If the Browns open with a receiver, Caleb Lomu (offensive tackle, Utah) would be an easy fit later in the round. If they go tackle first, KC Concepcion (wide receiver, Texas A&M) is the kind of player who would bring needed quickness and separation to a room that still lacks enough of both. That pairing matters more than any single pick. Cleveland needs multiple answers, not one headline.

Day 2 feels like the part of the weekend where they can add more juice. Chris Brazzell II (wide receiver, Tennessee) would give them a vertical threat they do not really have, and doubling up at receiver would make plenty of sense with how much help the position still needs.

First-year head coach Todd Monken is talking about building a team that is smart, physical, and hard to play against on tape. If the Browns want to change the story around their offense, they have to score. If they want to change the story around the team, they have to win.

Pittsburgh Steelers: The Draft Has To Support a Team Still Waiting on a Quarterback

The Steelers are built like a team that expects to compete. The problem is that the most important position is still not settled.

Pittsburgh spent the offseason adding veterans and reinforcing key spots, moves that align with a team still trying to win now. That approach makes sense if a quarterback answer is in place. It gets shakier when the quarterback room still feels unfinished.

Aaron Rodgers remains the obvious possibility, but until something actually happens there, the Steelers are working without a clear long-term answer. They still believe in Will Howard’s development, and Mike McCarthy’s recent comments point to another quarterback addition coming later in the draft rather than an early swing.

That pushes the early part of the draft toward supporting the offense around whoever ends up under center. Wide receiver still stands out even after the Michael Pittman Jr. addition. Jordyn Tyson (wide receiver, Arizona State), Denzel Boston (wide receiver, Washington), and Omar Cooper Jr. (wide receiver, Indiana) all fit the type of help this offense could still use if the board falls their way. Tyson, in particular, checks a lot of boxes for what McCarthy tends to like, even if the medical history could complicate where he comes off the board.

Later on, the quarterback conversation becomes more realistic. Carson Beck (quarterback, Miami), Drew Allar (quarterback, Penn State), Cole Payton (quarterback, North Dakota State), and Taylen Green (quarterback, Arkansas) all fit the type of developmental options Pittsburgh has spent time on.

That leaves the Steelers in a familiar spot. They can fill in around the roster, but the biggest question is still sitting there. Until they answer it, every draft decision is made with that in mind.