Last week, Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry held his mandatory pre-draft news conference. As is standard, Berry kept all information, insights and draft plans away from public consumption.

Berry said the Browns won’t have an idea of which direction their draft will start to take until “around 10 picks” before they go on the clock at No. 54 on Day 2. In that final hour or so before Cleveland decides to submit a pick or make a trade, all options will remain realistic.

The Browns haven’t had a first-round pick since 2021. They haven’t made a second-round pick since then either; in both drafts since making the Deshaun Watson deal in March 2022, Berry has traded out of the second round.

“We’ll see if we can break the trend of not having a second-round pick,” Berry said.

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Logic, history and my gut say he’s looking to trade again. The Browns only hold two picks in the top 150 this weekend. They don’t have one need that grossly outweighs their others, and they’re in more of a position to shop for the future rather than find immediate 2024 contributors.

How far down might they go? Two years ago, they went 24 spots down. Considering they don’t have a fourth-round pick this year, they could go down eight to 12 spots and add one of those. If they wanted to go 20 (or so) spots down, they could add another third-rounder to the one they already have (No. 85) and at least one additional Day 3 pick.

Just last year, pick No. 55 — one spot behind where the Browns currently sit — was traded. In that deal, Detroit sent picks 55 and 194 (sixth round) to Kansas City for 63, 122 (fourth) and 249 (seventh). The next pick was traded, too. Pick 56 went to Chicago; Jacksonville got 61 and 136 (fifth). Two years ago, pick 54 was traded — but in a trade-up. New England moved up four spots to No. 50, sending Nos. 54 and 158 to Kansas City to get there. The draft capital changing hands falls in line with last year’s trades.

That was a wild second round in 2022; 23 of the 32 selections were traded at some point before or during the draft. One of those was the Browns’ pick at No. 44 going to Houston for picks 68, 108 and 124.

No. 68 became Martin Emerson Jr., which might end up being viewed as a home run. The two fourth-round picks turned into Perrion Winfrey and Cade York, neither of whom made it to a second season with the Browns. York is back now on the offseason roster, but that pick was a disaster.

That example is a good way to get to the actual mocking. No one outside the Browns’ draft room saw them selecting a cornerback, and few saw Emerson being so good right away. Sometimes, you zero in on the right guy and it works. Sometimes, you simply pick the wrong guy and have to know when to bail. Winfrey had red flags, and the Browns drafted him anyway. Berry has gotten better at acknowledging mistakes and moving on over his previous four seasons. Can he get better at drafting wide receivers?

We’ll likely find out this week. For mock purposes, there are no trades here and we’re following the six picks the Browns currently own.

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Second round, No. 54

The Browns could go defensive tackle, wide receiver, edge rusher, offensive tackle or trade out. They might like the local kid, Ohio State defensive tackle Mike Hall Jr. They might trade down and take on another long-term project in the trenches, such as LSU defensive tackle Maason Smith. They could be tempted by the speed of Texas wideout Xavier Worthy, or they could point to the future with an offensive tackle like Houston’s Patrick Paul or BYU’s Kingsley Suamataia. I still think if Oregon’s Troy Franklin slips to the back half of the second round because he’s not a finished product and needs to add muscle and polish to his game, the Browns will bet on his big-play upside.

My pick: Troy Franklin, WR, Oregon

Third round, No. 85

I could see the Browns going defensive tackle, then offensive tackle, then letting wide receiver wait. I could see them taking Ohio State tight end Cade Stover in the third round, not for need but because he’s a solid all-around football player. Depending on where the Browns go in the second round, other names to know here include Western Kentucky wide receiver Malachi Corley, Michigan wideout Roman Wilson, North Carolina wideout Devontez Walker and a pair of offensive tackles, Blake Fisher of Notre Dame and Kiran Amegadjie of Yale. Fisher started his college career as a left tackle and got pushed to the right by the emergence of likely top-10 pick Joe Alt. Fisher is just 21, and the Browns might be able to look to the future here.

My pick: Blake Fisher, OT, Notre Dame

Blake Fisher is a 21-year-old who could develop into a future starter in Cleveland. (Jamie Rhodes / USA Today)

Fifth round, No. 156

With only two picks in the top 150, the Browns aren’t going to get to all of their assumed needs. On the draft’s third day, they’re going to weigh future upside versus current special teams ability. They might look ahead and try to steal a running back of the future. They might look for their center of the future. The defensive line certainly needs young legs. Here, I think they lean toward a pass-rush specialist for the future who could push for playing time and play on the kickoff team as a rookie.

My pick: Cedric Johnson, Edge, Ole Miss

Sixth round, No. 206

They could go with a center here. They could go with a running back. I’ll go where I went in mock draft 1.0. Illinois tight end Tip Reiman was a three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection and a team captain. And he’s a good athlete for a player who’s 6-foot-5, 270 pounds. Finding a multiyear backup here would be a hit, and this might be one.

My pick: Tip Reiman, TE, Illinois

Seventh round, Nos. 227 and 243

This far down, there are no guarantees. Because the Browns’ top three defensive tackles are in their 30s, I’m confident they’ll draft a defensive tackle next weekend. But the team might be willing to roll with the group it has, even if players like Hall and Smith would be available in the second round. So maybe they add a big body, then add a player to an evolving but completely uncertain running back room.

My pick at 227: McKinnley Jackson, DT, Texas A&M

My pick at 243: Isaiah Davis, RB, South Dakota State

(Top photo of Troy Franklin: Christian Petersen / Getty Images)