u/Blandino_Hair

Hey guys - I'm back with as extensive of a look on the second round players as I could do this week. Really, really exciting picks for the Browns despite some speed deficiencies for both players. Boston should slide very nicely into the X right away and mix and match with Concepcion on the slot duties. McNeil-Warren looks like a playmaker in the robber and strong safety roles going forward for you. Loving this draft for you all. As before, I'm going to post some of the first one and then a link at the bottom. It's a free link to SubStack and if you don't have SubStack just message me and I'll try to copy the whole thing to you. It's too many words to post on here. Thanks, and happy reading!

Cleveland Browns pick 39 (rd-2)

Denzel Boston - WR - University of Washington

• 6’4” / 212 pounds
• 32” Arm / 9.75” Hand
• Will be 22 years old for most of his rookie season (December birthday)
• Did not test athletically at the combine
• Did most of the workout at his pro day, but did not run a 40 yard dash
• 35” vertical leap
• 6.8-second 3-cone / 4.3-second second shuttle

Denzel Boston was a redshirt-junior receiver out of the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington. Boston played for Emerald Ridge High School in Puyallup, Washington, where he was a standout wide receiver, sprinter (200 meter dash), and the triple jump where he jumped nearly 43 feet. Boston was a 3-star recruit and was the 130th best wide receiver in the country in the class of 2022. He received offers from two big in-state schools University of Washington (Seattle, Washington) and Washington State University (Pullman, Washington). He played four years at the University of Washington. During Boston’s early years at the University of Washington, he was buried in an NFL‑caliber receiver room featuring Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan. Functionally, he sat just behind Odunze in the pecking order as the outside X receiver.

Here are Boston’s four seasons in college at the University of Washington:

*Boston had 1 punt return TD and 1 passing TD as well his redshirt-junior season - 13 Total TDs.

Boston patiently remained on the depth chart behind a trio of future NFL wide receivers before getting a chance for significant play time during his third season on campus after the trio declared for the NFL draft. The high number of touchdowns he scored are not surprising because he can use his long and bulky frame to out-physical any cornerback at the catchpoint.

Redshirt-Junior Analysis: Thanks to the Youtube creator, JusttheTape, I was able to watch every single target of Boston’s final year at Washington. Boston stands out in three areas: his size, his dependable hands, and his ability to turn his hips. When he’s aligned as an X receiver, he can use his big frame to his advantage once he’s beyond the first five yards, where his size and strength start to matter. He doesn’t offer much within that short area because he lacks initial burst speed, but once he reaches top speed he has enough runway to win catches down the field. His red‑zone hands are outstanding, and he’s capable of making spectacular catches like this one he pulled off against Rutgers:

Link to the SubStack below:

https://open.substack.com/pub/theday2guys/p/the-day-2-guys-cleveland-browns-second?r=2mc4kp&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web

Hey guys - I'm back with a deep dive into the two Browns first rounders. I know you've probably read about Fano and Concepcion ad nauseum, but in case you want even more hype, here you go. As you might have seen, the Browns were the first team to be picked in a spin-the-wheel game to go over all of the draft picks. I wanted to put the two first rounders together, so sorry for the length of the post. I'm going to post the first bit on here, and then if you want to keep reading, just click the link on the bottom. It will take you to the SubStack. If you don't have SubStack and want to keep reading, just message me and I'll send you the link because I don't want to self promote too much, but feel it looks much cleaner in the link.

Cleveland Browns pick 6 → pick 9
Browns trade pick 6 to KC for pick 9, pick 74 (rd-3), and pick 148 (rd-5)

Spencer Fano - OT - University of Utah

• 6’ 5” / 311 pounds.
• 32.130 Arm length (Combine) 32.875 Arm length (Pro Day) / 9” Hand
• 21 years old at the start of the 2026 NFL season (November birthday)
• Had explosive testing at the combine (40 yd dash, vertical leap, broad jump)
• 4.91-second 40-yard dash (98th percentile) / 1.73-second 10-yard split (93rd percentile)
• 32” vertical leap (93rd percentile) / 9’ 3” broad jump (90th percentile)
• 7.34-second 3-cone drill (93rd percentile) / 4.67-second 20-yard shuttle (67th percentile)

The Cleveland Browns traded the No. 6 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to the Kansas City Chiefs, moving back to No. 9 while adding an early third‑round and fifth‑round selection, yet still allowed them to land their target, Spencer Fano, with the ninth pick of the 2026 NFL. The Browns were able to get excellent value and extra draft capital that they wouldn’t normally be able to do in the top 10 of an NFL draft where the best offensive lineman is historically drafted earlier than the ninth pick, but Fano’s relatively short arms may have scared off other teams.  

Fano was a blue chip* high school prospect out of Timpview High School in Provo, Utah, and the number 1 ranked high school player in the state of Utah in the 2023 recruiting class. He was regarded as the ninth best high school offensive tackle (OT) in the cycle and was the 95th overall high school recruit according to the 247 sports consensus rankings. 247Sports and other recruiting outlets correctly identified Fano’s talent, but they incorrectly slotted 2026 NFL first round draft picks Kadyn Proctor (OT 1), Francis Mauigoa (OT 2), and Monroe Freeling (OT 5) ahead of him in their rankings. 

Fano played football from an early age as well as basketball and wrestling. As a football player, Fano played running back until he outgrew the position and transitioned to an offensive lineman. It’s always nice to see offensive lineman who played skill positions earlier on as I believe it helps their footwork and makes them lighter on their feet. Wrestling is also a common, but fantastic sport to help mold offensive linemen. 

Fano, like many other athletes in Utah, is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), but passed on his two-year LDS mission to focus on his football future. This is noteworthy because Fano will be 21 years old for much of the 2026 season. Players returning from LDS missions often struggle to regain their pre‑mission rhythm, which can cause them to slide down draft boards as teams weigh NFL readiness against long‑term upside. Even though that was surely a tough call for him personally, it appears to have paid off for Fano, whose decision to stay focused on football improved his draft stock. 

Games Watched: Utah vs. UCLA, Utah vs. Texas Tech, Utah vs. BYU

Utah vs. UCLA: Fano validated his reputation as a commanding presence against a clearly overmatched University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) defensive front. I wanted to see how a player known for imposing, high‑level performances handled a weaker defensive unit, and he did exactly what elite linemen should; he set the tone from the opening snap, imposing his will and dictated the line of scrimmage from start to finish. He handled the UCLA edge defenders on every pass set and climbed to the second level with ease in the run game. There was one play that I would deem a “loss” by Fano, and it was on a goal-line play where the running back and a defender fell into his legs from behind. His athleticism jumps off the tape in the run game and on pass sets. Fano showcased his strength on every play where UCLA rushers would try to win with a speed to power move. UCLA would push a few yards in before Fano would anchor down and stone them. Fano scored an impressive 86.1 grade PFF grade in this game, and was charted with one pressure on a play that I found to be misattributed.

Link Below:

https://open.substack.com/pub/theday2guys/p/the-day-2-guys-cleveland-browns-first?r=2mc4kp&utm_medium=ios