With the 2026 NFL Draft officially in the books, Cleveland Browns fans were excited with the organization's success in this year's draft class.
General manager Andrew Berry made it clear that his primary focus was on the offensive side of the ball, as eight of the Browns' 10 selections in the draft were offensive players. One name that continues to intrigue fans is Cleveland's sixth-round pick, Arkansas quarterback Taylen Green.
When asked about the selection of Green on Saturday afternoon, head coach Todd Monken stated that the young playmaker has "elite traits," which is something he looks for to give him a chance to develop.
“I just think at that point in the draft, and again I think Andrew [Berry] can speak to this more than I can, but you’re looking for players that have traits, elite traits which he has," Monken stated. "Something you think you can work with and give yourself a chance to develop. You hear some great things from not only when he was at Boise, Arkansas, in terms of how he’s wired, and so we’re just looking forward to get to work with him.”
Green, after spending the last two seasons with the Razorbacks, was one of the most polarizing prospects in this year's draft class. The 23-year-old quarterback threw for 2,714 yards, 19 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions in 2025, while also rushing for 777 yards and eight touchdowns on the ground.
However, Green's primary calling card heading into the most recent draft was his rare athletic ability. Standing at 6-foot-6, 227 lbs., the Browns' late-round selection had one of the best combine performances from a quarterback in recent memory, as he ran a blazing 4.36 40-yard dash while posting a 43.5-inch vertical.
Taylen Green was drafted in round 6 with pick 182 in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.99 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 2 out of 1128 QB from 1987 to 2026.https://t.co/yGTC3WwB5Y pic.twitter.com/UZcKIzmu7k
In addition to his remarks about the sixth-round pick, Monken also revealed that Green could be used in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
"Certainly, when you have a player with those kinds of traits, when can you utilize those? Obvious reasons – short yardage, goal line, four-minute, critical times when you’ve got to be able to run the ball and the defense is going to have an extra element in the box, having an athletic quarterback can be critical to having success," Monken claimed. "So, if he’s able to do that, then we’ll certainly put him in a position if we think that can help us win a game for sure."
Under former head coach Kevin Stefanski, the Browns would use 2025 second-round pick Quinshon Judkins in similar situations last season. However, with the talented running back still recovering from a season-ending injury, Green could quickly carve out a role on offense in 2026.
This article originally appeared on Browns Wire: Browns HC Todd Monken reveals thoughts on rookie QB Taylen Green