Cleveland's other pick, Austin Barber, has been just as impressive
Grade: B
The Cleveland Browns selected Austin Barber in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. A right tackle in college at Florida, Barber looked like he would provide depth for his rookie season and maybe serve as a future succession plan for Tytus Howard at right tackle.
But when Teven Jenkins, the team's projected starting right guard, got hurt, Barber immediately took over that spot. The former redshirt senior had plenty of experience in college to get him ready for his chance in Cleveland.
The first thing I had in my scouting report for Barber was "Quick twitch and aggressive; gets off snap and engages defenders quickly", and that is proving true at the next level.
Barber is looking to make first contact consistently. At the snap of the ball, he explodes from his stance, balanced and ready to go. He's excellent on his feet. Whether that's a good anchor, blocking in space, or executing pulls.
Cleveland is asking Barber to pull a lot. Mostly to seal the edge on the opposite side. Playing at Florida for all of those years got Barber ready to block in space at the next level, so he looks very comfortable.
He has also been effective on combo blocks and climbing to linebackers on the second level.
One thing that is tripping Barber up is reading the defense. A delayed blitz or a stunt from the defensive line can catch him by surprise. But it appears that he has all the tools to adjust to this in time.
Final Verdict: It doesn't look like anyone is going to be taking the job from this third-round rookie anytime soon. Barber is playing very well so far this season, and already looks like a long-term answer for Cleveland's offensive line.
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