What impact will the trade for offensive tackle Tytus Howard have on the Cleveland Browns’ plans for the 2026 NFL draft?
The Browns have themselves in the unenviable position of rebuilding most, if not the entirety, of its starting offensive line. In order to do this in one offseason, a combination of the draft, free agency, and the trade market will come into play. Getting the Houston Texans on the phone and making the trade for Tytus Howard became the first major move ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Details
As reported by Ian Rappaport:
Sources: The #Texans and #Browns have agreed to terms on a trade to send starting RT Tytus Howard to Cleveland in exchange for a fifth-round pick.
Much-needed OL help. Plus, Howard gets a new 3-year, $63M extension in a deal done by @malkikawa and Ethan Lock of @FirstRoundMgmt. pic.twitter.com/3X2PprFIjN
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 2, 2026
Cleveland will send a 2026 5th round draft pick (acquired from the Raiders for Pickett) to Houston. In return, the Browns received Howard and immediately signed him to a new three-year, $63 million extension. The deal won’t be finalized until the new league year starts on March 11th. Howard’s versatility and starting experience are obvious selling points as Cleveland will need some flexibility in rostering a new starting five.
This is a very reasonable trade to get what should be a key starter for the foreseeable future.
Background
Howard was born on May 23, 1996, in Monroeville, Alabama. As a true indicator of his athleticism, he played quarterback iat Monroe County High School while also lettering in basketball. Howard arrived at Alabama State as a walk-on tight end before transitioning to the offensive line. He became a three-year starter and team captain from 2016–2018. Receiving FCS First-Team All-America honors, Howard became the first Alabama State player ever selected in the 1st round of the NFL Draft.
Scouting Report
Howard was considered a raw prospect with valuable athletic traits. Standing at 6’5″, weighing in at 322 pounds, and adding 34-inch arms, Howard was able to show good movement skills with a 5.05 40-yard dash, 8’9″ broad jump and 29.5” vertical.
From Lance Zierlein:
“Ascending tackle prospect who will require additional work with technique and in the weight room to fully realize his potential. Howard is a gifted athlete with rare quickness and fluidity as both a run and pass blocker and his play issues are correctable with more work.”
Career Trajectory
The Texans selected Howard with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. He stepped in immediately as a starter earning all-rookie honors. Howard started 93 games over seven seasons while playing every offensive line spot except center. And perhaps showing one of the better reasons to make this trade, Tytus was on the field for all of the last two seasons.
In 2025, Howard put together one of his best seasons allowing pressure on just 3.4% of snaps (a career low) putting in time at right tackle, left guard, and right guard. Although Houston’s line was more of a punch line than an offensive line last season, Howard was widely regarded as their best starter up front.
Houston’s Reasoning
Howard was entering the final year of his deal with a $27 million cap hit. While the Texans could have waited and looked to resign him the following season, the market was likely going to place him at over $20 million per. The ability to get something in return now rather than nothing later likely played a large part in their decision-making process. In the very near future, extensions for quarterback C.J. Stroud and edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. will be the focal point of the finances making this move a bit more critical.
Howard himself acknowledged the move was about the Texans “trying to get younger and pay some guys.”
Impact on the Browns
In a previous article, we took a look down the barrel at what the Browns were staring at in 2026 for the offensive line. The idea that Cleveland could make a move ahead of the draft to give them some versatility in how they approached that first pick was an important piece of the puzzle. Now, the Browns have done exactly that.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they continued to add through free agency. This trade sets them up with some leeway but signing a player like Jamaree Salyer would give them even more room. It would also hedge their bet on having a healthy Dawand Jones.
Trading for Tytus Howard will give the Browns the ability to open their focus up to adding a player that could be a tackle but wouldn’t be considered a wasted pick if he had to move to guard. Now, sitting at #6 with the outside possibility of Francis Mauigoa available becomes a bit more enticing than an immediate trade down. Francis is off the board? Then drafting Spencer Fano and hoping you end up getting the version that becomes a franchise left tackle is a pretty damn good consolation prize.
This trade doesn’t take the trade down from that first pick off the board. But it does give the Browns less of a sense of urgency to load up on potential tackles, which now makes standing on that pick and selecting a more enticing option.