It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns will be looking very closely at the wide receiver class in the 2026 NFL Draft. After getting the fewest yards from the position in the league last season, they need a significant upgrade to improve the offense under new head coach Todd Monken.
Holding the No. 6 overall pick, the Browns have been linked to all of the top prospects. Ohio State star Carnell Tate is considered a legitimate choice at that spot.
Other wide receivers, such as Makai Lemon of USC and Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State, are possibilities, perhaps if Cleveland trades down in the first round. The Browns also have the No. 24 overall pick in the first round.
With that in mind, analyst Lance Reisland recently named a potential Browns wide receiver prospect no one is talking about: Malachi Fields of Notre Dame.
“I don’t think there’s a big separation between Lemon, Tyson and Tate and the next-tier guys. There’s a bunch of B-pluses in this draft. If I had to pick one guy, I would lean towards Omar Cooper Jr., but a guy that no one really talks about that I think is outstanding is Malachi Fields,” Reisland said.
"I don't think there's a big separation between Lemon, Tyson and Tate and the next tier guys. There's a bunch of B+ in this draft. If I had to pick one, I would lean towards Omar Cooper Jr…but a guy that no one really talks about that I think is outstanding is Malachi Fields."… pic.twitter.com/rbL75nE3aA
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 20, 2026
Fields is at No. 54 overall, which is up 16 spots, on The Athletic’s latest consensus list of the top 100 draft prospects. That makes him the ninth wide receiver, behind Tate, Lemon, Tyson, Denzel Boston, Cooper, KC Concepcion, Germie Bernard and Chris Brazzell II.
Pro Football Focus has Fields at No. 100 overall on its big board, which is 17th among wide receivers. So, if the Browns are interested in him, they might be able to wait until the third or fourth round.
Last season, which was his first at Notre Dame, Fields had 35 receptions for 630 yards and five touchdowns. In his final two years at Virginia, he had more than 50 catches and 800 yards in each season.
At 6-foot-4, he could satisfy the Browns’ need for a bigger target, and might form an interesting tandem with Isaiah Bond, who showed potential last season as an undrafted rookie. At some point, Cleveland will need a No. 1 receiver to take over that role from veteran Jerry Jeudy.
With that solution unlikely to come via free agency or a trade, the draft is the best option for the Browns to address the position.
NEXT: Analyst Urges Browns To Pursue Troubled Veteran WR
