Browns 2026 NFL Draft: Duke OL Brian Parker II has the versatility Cleveland needs
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The Browns could be in the market for position-flexible offensive linemen in the 2026 NFL Draft simply based on the number of holes that they need to fill as of right now. A player like Duke OG/C Brian Parker II could be the type of player Cleveland targets in rounds 3-4.
As of right now, the Browns have to replace all three interior offensive line positions, though there’s still a slight chance that Joel Bitonio comes back for one more season in 2026.
One of Andrew Berry’s realistic targets on day two or three could be Duke’s Brian Parker II, who was one of the highest-rated offensive linemen in all of college football last season. He also performed incredibly well at the Panini Senior Bowl earlier this year.
He played right tackle last year for Duke and graded out incredibly well in both phases of the game, but his pass protection may be his most impressive trait.
The way he’s able to consistently hit his landmarks on pass rushers and stay under control despite having shorter arms is incredible, and it’s easy to see that he’s been coached very well throughout his career. Parker’s always fighting to maintain leverage and inside hand position, which leads to defenders stalling out early in the rep.
He has a strong upper body as well, which allows him to steer defenders away from the ball in the run game, but he’ll have to gain some strength in his lower body at the next level.
He spent the majority of his snaps at the Senior Bowl at guard and center, and performed very well there despite not snapping the ball much in college.
Parker has a similar skillset and almost identical size to former Duke star and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ tackle-to-center convert Graham Barton. Cleveland could gravitate towards Parker at some point in April in an attempt to replicate how Barton’s career has gone so far.
