CBS NFL mock draft sticks Kadyn Proctor where a 1st round Alabama OT has failed before

It’s mock draft season, and much of the focus on former Crimson Tide players has centered on Ty Simpson’s status. The one-year starting QB is likely to be a first-rounder, but unlike QB1 Fernando Mendoza, who is a certified lock to go to the Las Vegas Raiders at No. 1, it’s a mystery where he’ll end up. 

However, Simpson isn’t the only potential first-rounder to come out of Alabama this year. There’s also his left tackle, Kadyn Proctor, a three-year starter in Tuscaloosa, and one of the most polarizing prospects in the 2026 class. 

A hulking figure at 6-foot-7, 366 pounds, Proctor has tremendous potential, but his work ethic has come into question, and there’s the possibility that he’s simply too big to deal with the speed of NFL edge rushers. 

For Proctor, the landing spot will be everything. He needs an organization that will build on his strengths, understand how to cover up his weaknesses, and get the most out of his ability. That franchise is probably not the Cleveland Browns. 

CBS Sports’ Tom Fornelli mocks Kadyn Proctor to the Cleveland Browns at No. 24 overall

Though legendary left tackle Joe Thomas is the biggest franchise legend since the NFL returned to Cleveland, the Browns aren’t exactly an offensive line factory anymore. With Bill Callahan on staff as offensive line coach from 2020-2023, Cleveland had stout O-lines, but that group has largely aged out, and all five starters from last season are entering free agency. 

Even when Callahan, a legendary offensive line coach in NFL circles, was in Cleveland, it didn’t guarantee success. Former Crimson Tide offensive tackle Jedrick Wills Jr. learned that the hard way. 

Wills, a 2020 first-round draft pick, started 15 games that season and looked to be a promising young player. However, Wills was inconsistent, and injuries nagged him before he ultimately sat out the entire 2025 season as a free agent after five years in Cleveland to allow his ailing knee to recover before attempting a comeback. 

Wills was not a sure thing; few prospects are. Still, when a player talented enough to be selected No. 10 overall struggles so mightily to establish himself with a franchise like Cleveland, it’s hard not to place some of that blame on the organization. Or at least to feel a bit of trepidation at the thought of a similarly volatile prospect ending up there. 

The coaching staff has changed since Wills’ time in Cleveland. The Browns fired Kevin Stefanski this offseason and replaced him with Todd Monken, but until there is a major change from the top down with the Browns, it’s the least desirable destination in the league.