It’s no secret at this point that one of the Cleveland Browns biggest needs is wide receiver. With two first-round picks at their disposal ahead of next month’s NFL Draft, they’re in a great position to grab one of the top wideout prospects available.
Adding one WR may not be enough, though. It’s a real possibility that the Browns use multiple picks to add to their wide receiver room. If they do, they have a pretty deep class to choose from.
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Here’s at least one WR target for Cleveland to consider in each round of the draft.
An obvious choice. Hailing from Ohio State, Browns fans are plenty familiar with Tate’s game, and many believe he should be the pick at No. 6 overall. However, with two first-round picks at its disposal, Cleveland could certainly wait on a WR.
If landing a pure X or Z wide receiver is the goal, though, the Browns will be hard-pressed not to pull the trigger on Tate. While much was made about his lack of pure speed, he hasn’t needed that to get open throughout his career and that should continue at the NFL.
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Bernard has steadily risen up boards throughout the pre-draft process and now figures to be a potential late second-round option for interested teams. He’s not the fastest WR by any stretch, but his route running is so refined already that he finds ways to get open.
With the Browns drafting at pick 39 in the second round, they could consider Bernard early or look to move back to get better value if they think he’ll still be there later in the round. For what it’s worth, he did make a top 30 visit to Cleveland already.
Branch ran one of the fastest forty times at the NFL Combine (4.35), and Andrew Berry has certainly been drawn to middle-round speedsters at WR over the years. Originally a USC commit, Branch entered the transfer portal after his sophomore season and wound up at Georgia where he really broke out.
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It’s not just speed that makes Branch a weapon, though. He is a YAC savant, with 80% of his career yardage in college coming after the catch. There’s a lot Todd Monken could do with a player like Branch.
Lane is a guy who thrives at the catch point thanks to his above-average height, massive hands, and strong vertical leaping ability. At 6-foot-4, he could become a prominent red zone target at the next level, much like he was in college over the last two seasons.
There is still room for Lane to expand his route tree, though, and drops were an issue for him at times, but mid-round players are hardly ever complete products.
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Coleman is well-traveled, having transferred four consecutive years of his college career, which began at Jackson State where he caught 32 passes for 475 yards and three touchdowns to win SWAC Freshman of the Year.
His next three stops were at Louisville, where he really broke out for 74 catches for 932 yards and six touchdowns, Mississippi State and finally, Missouri this past season, where he managed 66 receptions for 732 yards and just one touchdown.
He’s undersized, so he seems destined for day three, but he has history with Shedeur Sanders from his time at Jackson State, which may be a draw for Cleveland to reunite the duo.
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Time will tell if Thomas’ blazing 4.28 forty time is enough to get him out of day three. He lacks so many other traits that NFL teams look for in their WRs, though, so it feels likely he’s still on the board that Saturday.
As mentioned, Berry loves taking chances on speedy receivers and may see the value in Thomas in these later rounds. He projects as an intriguing slot weapon at the next level.
The talk of the Senior Bowl, Montgomery figures to be a day-three flier, and the Browns may just be interested in keeping the JCU product in Cleveland.
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Montgomery was a late bloomer to football, having never played the sport until his 20s, but he made the most of his opportunity, racking up nearly 2,600 yards receiving and 32 TDs in two seasons with the Blue Streaks. His basketball background is noticeable in his ability to high-point the ball and come down with it.
He’s the perfect type of player to use a seventh-round pick on.
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