Parker Brailsford's slide in the 2026 NFL Draft never made any sense. When healthy, there wasn't a better center in college football over the last two seasons than Brailsford. Alabama's offensive line had its problems, but he was not among them.
Interior offensive linemen don't have the same value as tackles and other positions, but it still felt wild to see Brailsford fall all the way to the fifth round in April. He looked like a sure-fire steal from the moment his name was called.
Early returns are proving that to be prophetic.
Brailsford impressed during rookie minicamp right after he was drafted. He's doing the same at the opening of Training Camp and appears to be making a legitimate push for the starting job, per our friends over at Dawg Pound Daily.
Parker Brailsford is making a legitimate push for the Browns' starting center job
Per Cleveland.com's Terry Pluto, and via DPD, Brailsford has a legitimate shot at winning the job. He's impressed the coaches early.
Alabama fans are not surprised.
Brailsford might not be the biggest or the strongest, but he's among the smartest and toughest at his position. He has excellent agility for his size, too, allowing him to get out in space and make blocks that open up holes for running backs.
Alabama's offensive line was an unmitigated disaster in 2025, but Brailsford was one of the lone bright spots. It won't take long before he's a major bright spot in Cleveland, too.
He was selected with the expectation of providing quality depth on the interior next season and hopefully developing into a starter a few years down the road. He appears to be ahead of schedule.
Cleveland signed veteran interior offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins in free agency as the expected starter at center, but he could easily kick out to guard if Brailsford is ready to start from day one.
Training Camp is in full swing around the NFL. Brailsford and the Browns will open up their preseason schedule in just over two weeks on August 15th against the Chicago Bears. They have nine practices to go between now and that preseason opener, allowing Brailsford ample time to jockey for position before the preseason starts.
His talent and ability are undeniable. Not everyone saw it during the pre-draft process, but Brailsford is a football player. He's a different beast with the pads on, and Cleveland appears to be reaping the benefits already of one of the biggest steals of the draft.
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