Getty
A.J. Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Cleveland Browns are almost certainly going to land a high-level wide receiver this offseason, the question is how the team ultimately goes about doing so, which will also determine who it ends up acquiring.
The simplest path is to draft one with the No. 6 overall pick. Either Carnell Tate of Ohio State or Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State, if not both, should be there for Cleveland at that selection. But the Browns also need offensive line help, and national mock drafts in general are trending toward predictions of the franchise selecting the top available offensive tackle inside the top 10.
If Cleveland goes offensive line with its first draft choice, it is likely to turn the No. 24 pick into a pass-catcher of some kind. There should be a quality rookie or two available there, such as Denzel Boston out of Washington or KC Concepcion of Texas A&M.
Another route, though, would be the Browns using the asset as the centerpiece of a trade for AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles — an idea that has significant merit considering his discontent in Philly and Cleveland’s commitment to rebuilding its offense under new head coach Todd Monken.
AJ Brown Likely to Cost First-Round Pick, and Then Some, in Trade
GettyWide receiver AJ Brown of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Reporters around the NFL and close to the Eagles are predicting, a little more than just tentatively in several cases, that Brown is going to push his way out of Philadelphia this offseason.
“My guess is Brown will seek a trade, and the Eagles will find strong compensation,” Zach Berman of The Athletic wrote on February 4.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN dubbed Brown as worth a first-round pick and then some in a trade back in July 2025.
Cleveland could come in with a competitive offer by packaging the Nos. 24 and 107 picks in April’s draft for Brown, who is under contract through 2029 after recently inking a three-year contract extension worth $96 million total. However, the competition for his services league-wide could push Brown’s value even higher.
Browns Could Look for Wide Receiver in Free Agency, Such as Brandon Aiyuk
GettySan Francisco 49ers wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk.
Cleveland can also pursue a wideout via free agency, with Brandon Aiyuk of the San Francisco 49ers as perhaps the most talented and gettable option.
The Niners and Aiyuk are likely to part ways this offseason after he missed the entire 2025 campaign. He suffered a year-ending knee injury partway through the 2024 season and hasn’t played a regular-season snap since then. Aiyuk then stopped showing up to the team facility midway through 2025.
If Aiyuk hits free agency in March, which is likely, the Browns could potentially sign him on a one-year deal at a reasonable price, as he will need to rebuild his value for a longterm deal in the future.
In that scenario, Cleveland may also decide to use one of its first-round selections this April on a rookie receiver who can serve as a longer-term option for Shedeur Sanders, or whoever ends up playing quarterback for the Browns next season and beyond.
Max Dible covers the NFL, NBA and MLB for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Green Bay Packers, Minnesota Vikings, Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns. He covered local and statewide news as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and served as news director for BigIslandNow.com and Pacific Media Group’s family of Big Island radio stations before joining Heavy. More about Max Dible
More Heavy on Browns
Loading more stories