Monroe Freeling of the Georgia Bulldogs is rising, and could land with the Cleveland Browns at No. 6.
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Monroe Freeling of the Georgia Bulldogs is rising, and could land with the Cleveland Browns at No. 6.
For the Cleveland Browns, Step 1 toward rebuilding the offensive line came on Monday, when the team pulled off a trade for tackle Tytus Howard, a mainstay of the Houston Texans, who was given a $45 million contract extension ($63 million total including his 2026 option salary) just after being acquired. There will need to be multiple steps taken toward finishing up how the line looks between now and the end of the 2026 NFL draft, but increasingly, it looks like picking Monroe Freeling from Georgia at No. 6 will be one of them.
Freeling is a relatively inexperienced left tackle who, before last week’s NFL combine, was widely considered a fringe first-rounder–ESPN’s mock draft had him at No. 29, and NFL.com’s mock had him at No. 37, in the second round.
But he measured in at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds in Indianapolis, then stunned observers with a 4.93 40-yard dash time. Since then, he has firmed up a spot in the Top 15–and likely in the Top 10, with several sites now pinning him to the Browns at No. 6.
Monroe Freeling Stock ‘Skyrocketed’ at Combine
At Cleveland.com, that connection gained some notice: “With the Browns needing help along the offensive line, Freeling was likely to become a popular name associated with them at pick No. 6.”
Indeed, it has been. Two of the most prominent NFL mock drafts for next month now have the Browns tabbing Freeling with the No. 6 pick–Pro Football Focus and ESPN’s Jordan Reid mock.
Reid wrote of Freeling and the Browns this week: “Freeling’s stock has skyrocketed since the end of the season. At 6-foot-7, 315 pounds, he’s one of the few true left tackles of this class. He is also an excellent athlete who excels in space and on the move. His size, upside and athletic traits have prompted multiple teams to rank him as the top offensive tackle at the combine.”
Browns Certainly Have a Need
PFF’s Trevor Sikkema also was impressed by what Freeling did at the combine, and sees him as a mainstay for a Browns offensive line for years to come. Given the Browns’ needs, he tabs them to pull in Freeling’s upside at No. 6.
He wrote: “Freeling might be the biggest riser of any player due to his combine performance. He measured in at 6-foot-7 and 315 pounds and then ran a 4.93-second 40-yard dash with a 9-foot-7 broad jump. He also looked very explosive in the on-field drills. Get ready for all the top-15 talk for a big man who has that much athletic potential.”
Can Browns Afford to Gamble on Monroe Freeling’s Inexperience?
The issue with Freeling is relative inexperience. He started only 17 regular-season games at Georgia in his career, and even with his eye-opening physical skills, he did not dominate last year as a junior. That’s got to be concerning for the Browns.
Cleveland will need to use the No. 6 pick on a player who can get onto the field right away in 2026, and if Freeling is a raw talent who needs coaching and time, it might be difficult to take the plunge on him, especially at No. 6. If there is a sense that he could be had later in the first round, it might behoove the Browns to trade down and bet that he will still be in place.
But the size and athleticism are there. It will remain to be seen whether the Browns are as excited about Monroe Freeling as the draft analysts are.