Entering the 2026 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, promised the fans to be aggressive. Come April 23, he certainly did that. With their first pick, the Cowboys selected the multi-tool defender Caleb Downs out of Ohio State. The catch immediately piqued everyone’s interest. But little do they know how Jones had to use his salesman pitch to get the No. 11 overall pick.

We know that the Cowboys held the No. 12 and No. 20 first-round picks. We also know they gave away their two fifth-round picks to the Miami Dolphins to move one pick up to 11, selecting Downs. However, The Athletic’s Jon Machota recently revealed that before dialing Stephen M. Ross, Jones was calling the Cleveland Browns owner, Jimmy Haslam, leaving us wondering what if?

When the Browns were on the clock at Pick 9, the Cowboys offered picks 12 and 20 and a fifth-rounder for Picks 9 and 24, revealed Machota. However, the Browns, who were themselves looking to build their offense, were not interested. But let’s look at the alternate theory.

The Browns originally held the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft, but anticipating the unavailability of a favored player, they moved down to No. 9 after a quick trade with the Kansas City Chiefs. In addition to the No. 9 pick, they also received  No. 74 and No. 148. In hindsight, would they have been at an advantage while trading with the Cowboys? Of course, two first-round picks to get impact players would’ve made a difference this year. But the Browns aren’t becoming contenders in 2026, and they know it. They are looking ahead, instead.

You see, the Browns were always targeting Spencer Fano, an offensive tackle from Utah. But taking him at No. 6 could’ve been considered a reach, especially when a player like Sonny Styles was already present. With this trade, they did two things…

First, they still picked Fano at No. 9. Second, for a team looking to build a young roster to become future contenders, adding extra picks worked in their favor. How would that have affected the Cowboys?

Well, Jones dialed up the Dolphins owner Ross to move from 12 to 11 to select Downs. If the trade with the Browns may have occurred, the former Buckeye would’ve almost never landed in Dallas.

Some heavyweight names were picked off the board before Downs, including the Cowboys’ other favorite, Sonny Styles. But if they had taken the sixth overall pick, the Cowboys might have selected Styles instead, as the linebacker landed with the Washington Commanders as this year’s seventh overall pick. Another name could’ve been Arvell Reese, who went fifth overall, just one mark off by the Browns’ original picks.

In the end, it worked out well for both sides.

On April 30th, during their groundbreaking ceremony in Brook Park, Haslam commended GM Andrew Berry and crew for the successful draft weekend, and we can see why.

The Browns were one of the more active teams on night one of the 2026 NFL Draft, using their two first-round picks to add what they hope are immediate impact players for a roster in need of upgrades. They helped kick off the action early, making the first trade of the night with the Chiefs, who went on to select LSU cornerback Mansoor Delane.

The move gave Cleveland more flexibility and allowed Berry to maintain his focus on the narrowed-down small group of players they were considering with the No. 9 pick.

Before the trade-down, Fano was one of three names firmly in the mix for the Cleveland Browns at No. 9. Other than him, the other two players under consideration were wide receiver Jordyn Tyson, who went eighth overall to the New Orleans Saints, and offensive lineman Francis Mauigoa, selected tenth overall by the New York Giants.

The Browns’ head coach, Todd Monken, said they plan to start Spencer Fano at left tackle. He added that the team is “jacked” about trading down, picking up extra draft picks, and still being able to “get the player we targeted the whole time.” He even made the pick with a strategy.

How Spencer Fano fits into the Cleveland Browns’ plans

With the ninth overall pick, the Browns selected the first offensive lineman of the day, Spencer Fano, over offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa, having done a good study on him. The three-year starter and strong run blocker is 6’5” and over 300 pounds, but still one of the most athletic linemen in the draft. While the team still doesn’t know who will be throwing the ball come Week 1, they have ensured their o-line is strong enough to resist pressure.

One concern is his arm length at 32 and 1/8 inches, which is shorter than what teams usually prefer for an NFL tackle. Still, when you watch him play, it does not look like a problem. He started at left tackle as a freshman at Utah, then moved to right tackle as a sophomore and has started there for the final two seasons.

Last season, Fano allowed zero sacks, zero quarterback hits, and just five total pressures in 12 starts. He had an outstanding 2025, winning the Outland Trophy, Polynesian Player of the Year, and Big 12 Offensive Lineman honors. You can see the attraction in Berea. He even further sweetened the deal:

“If you want me to play center, I’ll play center,” Fano said, via the official website of the NFL. “I’ll do whatever it takes to be great in this league.”

This pick helps fix a big problem on Cleveland’s offensive line. The Browns struggled last season in both the run game and pass protection. They focused on fixing that by trading for Tytus Howard and signing Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins.

In the end, this move makes sense. While the quarterback room remains under scrutiny, the Browns improved their offensive line and added a talented player who can help right away.