Mock draft season is here. And with two weeks before the start of the NFL Scouting Combine, our first Cleveland Browns mock begins with a wide receiver and an offensive tackle.

It might end up going offensive tackle then wide receiver, but we think we’re in the right neighborhood.

The Browns will spend the offseason looking for reinforcements across their offensive line, talent upgrades in their pass-catching groups and potentially another quarterback. We’ve already heard general manager Andrew Berry say the Browns could end up being the league’s youngest team in 2026, and regardless of what happens at quarterback, the current rebuilding project needs another strong draft.

Could two rookies end up starting on the offensive line? Could rookies again end up as the team’s leading receiver and passer? It seems possible. And though it’s too early to know how the Browns will prioritize and attack their needs, it’s probably safe to say the door is open for at least four or five rookies to be immediate offensive contributors.

The Browns have their own picks in Rounds 1-5 and Jacksonville’s first-round pick as a result of last year’s draft-day trade. We know Cleveland is slated to pick at Nos. 6 and 24 in the first round, No. 39 in the second round and No. 70 in the third.

Because compensatory picks start at the end of the third round, the full draft order won’t be finalized until after comp picks are awarded. So, we’ll designate the Browns’ third-day picks just by round for now. Last year, the sixth pick of the fourth round was No. 108 overall, and the sixth pick of the fifth round was No. 144, some guy named Shedeur Sanders.

As Berry has noted, the Browns figure to have eight of the top 150 picks. There will be no trades included in Browns mock draft version 1.0, though future mocks could incorporate trade scenarios — and Cleveland might start making deals ahead of the March 9 player movement period.

Berry’s track record includes two trades for wide receivers that involved third-day picks, and the Browns currently own three fifth-round selections among their 10.

Where applicable, the number in parentheses represents the player’s ranking on Dane Brugler’s pre-combine list of the top 100 prospects in this year’s draft.

Here are the best guesses at this too-early stage.

Round 1, No. 6: Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State (10)

I’m torn at this early stage between wide receiver and tackle. But, for now, I think Tate’s playmaking and potential make him a logical target.

Tate is just 21 and isn’t a finished product. But his explosion and body control give him a chance to eventually become a top-tier NFL wide receiver, and he’s good enough immediately to help whomever the quarterback(s) might be in 2026.

One of my strongest early offseason predictions is that the Browns will be aggressive in seeking an experienced wide receiver via trade or the first wave of free agency. But I still think the team will also consider using a first-round pick on a receiver who might become a true No. 1 down the road.

Because Cedric Tillman is entering the final year of his rookie contract and the Browns are stuck with Jerry Jeudy for another season, it’s time to think about 2026 and 2027 in remaking and upgrading the receiving corps.

If the Browns like Tate, they can wait until later to address the offensive line.

Round 1, No. 24 (via Jaguars): Kadyn Proctor, OT, Alabama (17)

The rebuild of the Browns’ offensive line won’t come in just one draft or one phase. Proctor, who doesn’t turn 21 until June, offers raw ability and rare size.

NFL.com’s draft profile calls Proctor “a mass of humanity.” We’ll get official measurements at the NFL Scouting Combine, but Alabama listed the former five-star recruit at 6-foot-7, 366 pounds.

Proctor was No. 2 on Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List last summer. He projects as a right tackle who could potentially move to right guard, and he’ll go somewhere in the late first or early second round.

Teams see the size and ability. Soon, they’ll decide if Proctor can eventually put it all together at the game’s highest level. Wrote Brugler: “If his discipline and technique catch up to his physical ability, we’ll be cooking with gas.”

Round 2, No. 39: Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU (82)

The Browns might be waiting until 2027 to really pursue a quarterback, and there’s a chance Sanders makes that pursuit unnecessary. But there’s also a real chance the Browns view another quarterback addition as necessary — and Nussmeier is a bit of a known commodity in draft circles, even if he doesn’t head to the end of the process with a bunch of momentum.

The son of New Orleans Saints offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier, Garrett Nussmeier was viewed as a potential first-round pick last year. He returned to school hoping to lead LSU to a national championship, but he played poorly behind a struggling offensive line and dealt with multiple injuries.

Nussmeier was cleared to play in last month’s Senior Bowl as part of what he hopes will be a path toward rebuilding his draft stock. Assuming he remains healthy and interviews well, the second round seems a logical landing spot — and interested teams won’t be able to wait.

Garrett Nussmeier participated in this year’s Senior Bowl in an effort to boost his stock before the NFL Draft. (Don Juan Moore / Getty Images)

Round 3, No. 70: Keith Abney, CB, Arizona State (59)

The Browns will focus on offense in this draft. But with Denzel Ward heading into his ninth season, Martin Emerson Jr. eligible for free agency after missing 2025 due to injury and a new defensive coordinator coming, cornerback is a premium position for which the team might deviate from its offense-heavy plans.

Abney is an early entry to this year’s draft. He’s a former high school track star who was a full-time player for two years at Arizona State, and he can contribute immediately on special teams while preparing for a full-time defensive role in the future.

Offense comes first and second in this offseason for Cleveland, which also could use a huge special teams upgrade.

Wrote Brugler: “Abney has only average size but plays bigger (and more competitively) than he looks. He is a little bit of a wild defender, which NFL route runners will take advantage of while he matures. But his fluid change-of-direction skills help him play sticky in coverage.”

Round 4: Kage Casey, G/T, Boise State (98)

Casey was a left tackle and a darn good one at Boise State. He passed on his final year of eligibility to pursue the NFL, where he knows he might be asked to move inside or potentially learn multiple positions. That makes him a good fit for the Browns, who have sort of a blank slate across the offensive line.

Brugler lists Casey as a guard and wrote that he is “a tough, veteran blocker who relies on technical savvy and play-recognition to keep defenders occupied.”

Round 5 (via Raiders): Harold Perkins Jr., LB, LSU

Perkins is a former five-star recruit who never became the college player most expected him to be. But he’s still talented and a known commodity in NFL scouting circles and will be a much-discussed prospect over the next two-plus months.

The Browns might have to add to their linebacker corps — they will certainly have to if Devin Bush leaves in free agency — and a player like Perkins, who could help in multiple ways, seems a logical fit for the veteran defensive group.

The pick acquired from the Raiders should be the first selection of the fifth round. With three fifth-rounders currently, the Browns could end up using one or more of them in trades starting in March — and potentially again during the draft.

Round 5: Kevin Coleman Jr., WR, Missouri

Coleman was the leading receiver last fall at Missouri, his fourth college stop. He was the SWAC Freshman of the Year as Sanders’ teammate at Jackson State in 2022, but his other natural link to the Browns is his punt return ability.

If Cleveland starts the draft with a player who will become a true outside receiver, it can later look for a player who can contribute in the slot and on special teams.

Round 5 (via Bengals): Tanner Koziol, TE, Houston

With David Njoku unsurprisingly set to depart Cleveland, the Browns might seek an experienced tight end in free agency. And with Harold Fannin Jr. having emerged as the team’s top receiver as a rookie in 2025 and a huge part of the offense’s plans going forward, finding a blocking-first tight end could be a priority.

But there’s no real blueprint for how it has to go, and Koziol was a prolific pass catcher in college, with 94 receptions in 2024 at Ball State and 74 last season at Houston. Especially given Fannin’s versatility, adding another pass catcher to the tight end room could help free up Fannin in future seasons.

Round 6 (via Bears): Riley Nowakowski, TE/FB, Indiana

Nowakowski was one of the unsung heroes on Indiana’s national title team. His ability to line up across the formation and contribute in multiple ways will help him earn NFL playing time, and though the Browns have long-term answers at tight end (Fannin) and running back (Quinshon Judkins), they’ll likely be at least partly remaking those groups over the next five months as they install a new offense.

You might see four official mock drafts from me over the next 10 weeks, but you’ll almost always see Nowakowski as part of them. He’s just a fearless, physical football player who’s going to find a way to make an NFL team better in some regard.

Round 7 (via Seahawks): Ryan Eckley, P, Michigan State

Eckley’s average of 47.6 yards per punt while at Michigan State was the best in Big Ten history. He had 67 punts of 50 yards or more in his college career.

The Browns probably need a punter with Corey Bojorquez eligible for free agency, and that punter is likely to be busy in his rookie season. So don’t rule out the Browns drafting a punter if they keep all 10 of their picks.