The Cleveland Browns are going to be one of the most talked-about teams when the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off on Thursday night. They hold two first-round picks and have real needs to address, particularly at wide receiver and offensive tackle. The entire football world knows it. The Browns know it. And at this point, it is no secret what they are trying to accomplish this week.
But what does the ideal outcome actually look like for Cleveland?
CBS Sports analyst Bryan DeArdo laid it out clearly in a recent seven-round mock draft, and the answer centers around one player from USC.
“The best-case scenario for Cleveland would be Makai Lemon somehow still being on the board when they’re on the clock with the No. 24 overall pick. If that were to happen, the Browns would have a formidable duo at receiver with Lemon and Jerry Jeudy,” DeArdo wrote.
The problem is that the scenario is a long shot for the Browns, and there is no guarantee that it will happen.
Lemon is one of the most productive receivers in this entire class. The USC product won the Biletnikoff Award, hauling in 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns during the 2025 season. Over his three-year college career, he finished with 137 receptions for 2,008 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 14.7 yards per reception every single season.
The concern some evaluators have raised is that Lemon spent the majority of his time lined up in the slot. But that label undersells what he is actually capable of doing at the next level. His yards-per-route numbers ranked in the 94th percentile among all receivers in this class, and his production on the outside actually exceeded what he did from the slot. The Justin Jefferson and Amon-Ra St. Brown comparisons exist for a reason. Both of those players were viewed as slot-only prospects coming out of college, and both became stars playing all over the field in the NFL.
Makai Lemon running a ~4.52 at his Pro Day is about what I expected
Will live in the slot in the NFL pic.twitter.com/qikzacnhUc
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) March 12, 2026
The reality, though, is that Lemon may not make it to pick No. 24. Multiple teams ahead of the Browns have wide receiver needs, and his combination of production, reliability, and route running makes him an attractive target for teams picking in the teens. The Jets, the Rams, and others have all been connected to him.
Whoever is lined up under center for Cleveland next season and beyond needs weapons to work with.
Landing Lemon alongside Jerry Jeudy would be a major step in the right direction. Getting one of the other top receivers in this class would still represent real progress for an offense that badly needs it.
The Browns have the picks. They have the draft capital. Now it is just a matter of whether the board cooperates on Thursday night.
NEXT: Brian Baldinger Knows Exactly What Browns Must Do In Draft
