Why Browns traded out of Round 3 in NFL Draft with Giants for three picks originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Browns came into the 2026 NFL Draft with the No. 6 overall pick and traded it to the Kansas City Chiefs for a pair of picks, including the No. 74 overall selection.
Then on Day 2, the Browns traded that pick, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. They got a haul from the New York Giants, acquiring the Nos. 105 and 145 picks on Day 3, and a 2027 fourth-round pick.
This is a haul for the Browns, but why did they trade out of the third round of the draft? The reason is simple: this return from the Giants is very hard to pass up.
2026 NFL DRAFT HQ:Live tracker | Pick-by-pick grades | Best players still available
The Browns are moving down the board a good bit, falling back from No. 74 to No. 105 while picking up the 145th pick and also adding the fourth-round pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
That's a strong return for the Browns, as they're acquiring a ton of capital on Day 3 of the NFL Draft and also adding more capital in next year's draft, which projects to be a very strong one.
Cleveland got this 74th pick as part of their trade-down in Round 1, so at the end of the deal, the Browns moved down from No. 6 to No. 9 to acquire the 104th, 145th, 148th, and a 2027 fourth-rounder.
More: Todd Monken reveals QB plan for Browns thats good news for Shedeur Sanders
The Browns moved down without much interest in the players on the board, as they've already done a great job with their first picks of the draft.
After selecting Spencer Fano and KC Concepcion in Round 1, they took Denzel Boston in Round 2 and also traded up for Emmanuel McNeill-Warren, a safety who might be the steal of the draft so far.
Overall, the Browns are making some savvy moves, and this trade-down gives them some quality picks down the board to take more selections on Day 3 over the next two years.
Todd Monken missed NFL head coach photo thanks to getting a haircut for said photo
Why Shedeur Sanders is changing Browns jersey to No. 2 after wearing 12
Browns back out of A.J. Epenesa's free agent contract
Deshaun Watson is obviously the Browns' most overpaid player