Up to this point, the Cleveland Browns have been extremely transparent in terms of which two positions they are mostly zeroing in on for the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n
An overwhelming number of mock drafts and projections have the Browns taking an offensive lineman at 6th overall and a wide receiver at 24th, or a wide receiver at 6th and an offensive lineman at 24th. The who varies greatly, but in essence, it seems to be one of those two combinations, with only a small minority of other prospects being discussed, like safety Caleb Downs or running back Jeremiyah Love.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Are we painting ourselves in a corner by assuming that the only first-round that makes sense for Cleveland would be a wideout\/offensive tackle combo, in whichever order?\u00a0<\/p>\n
Depending on how the dominoes fall once the draft begins, and what the Browns\u2019 brass has said and done over the last few weeks, a two wide-receiver first round could be a logical alternative. Let\u2019s take a look:<\/p>\n
How the Wide Receiver Landscape Is Shaping Up for the 2026 NFL Draft<\/p>\n
Just a few weeks ago, there seemed to be a three-horse race for the top spot in this year\u2019s group. Now, it seems Ohio State\u2019s Carnell Tate will be the first wideout taken, with USC\u2019s Makai Lemon being constantly mocked in the teens, and a few analysts warning that Arizona State\u2019s Jordyn Tyson could fall into the 20s — Daniel Jeremiah, Trevor Sikkema and Matt Miller among them.<\/p>\n
Daniel Jeremiah is my go to guy when it comes to the Draft. <\/p>\n
This\u2026\u2026. scares me when it comes to Jordyn Tyson. <\/p>\n
He wants to say more, but he\u2019s such a respectful dude. pic.twitter.com\/roYIv1xggf<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 MikedUpSports (@MikedUpSports1) April 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Should these projections hold, Cleveland could take Tate at the top of the order<\/a> and plausibly have Tyson falling into their lap at 24<\/a>. <\/p>\n If not, there\u2019s still a wide array of wideouts that could be available at 24th, including Indiana\u2019s Omar Cooper, Washington\u2019s Denzel Boston or Texas A&M\u2019s KC Concepcion. In any case, there\u2019s value at both spots where Cleveland is selecting. But coming home from Pittsburgh with Tate and Tyson without moving up would really be something.<\/p>\n Why Would Cleveland Ignore First-Round Offensive Tackle Prospects?<\/p>\n Based upon who\u2019s out, who\u2019s in and what\u2019s being said in Cleveland, the rebuilt offensive line seems to be missing two spots: left tackle and center. The Browns seem to be coming to terms that Joel Bitonio won\u2019t come back, and Wyatt Teller already has a new team. <\/p>\n In their spots, the Browns signed free agents Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins. Jack Conklin is also out, via free agency, with Tytus Howard penciled in at right tackle after being acquired through trade. Ethan Pocic won\u2019t be returning either, but Cleveland did re-sign backup guard Teven Jenkins and will get tackle Dawand Jones back from injury at some point.\u00a0<\/p>\n General manager Andrew Berry stated he would be comfortable playing a game right now with this unit, which also includes backups KT Leveston, Zak Zinter and Luke Wypler, at tackle, guard and center, respectively.<\/p>\n Do you think Dawand Jones will be a starter this season? #DawgPound<\/a><\/p>\n “The talent is there. I think he can takeover and be starting on the offensive line.”<\/p>\n – @HanfordDixon29<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/qbcoiFgCrd<\/a><\/p>\n