It’s no secret that the Cleveland Browns want to come out of the 2026 NFL Draft with a shiny new weapon at wide receiver and a hulking blind-side protector who can anchor the offensive line for the next decade. They’ll have the perfect opportunity to fill those needs with the sixth and 24th picks in the draft, and after a 2025 draft where the team threw a bunch of curveballs, this might be the year to play it simple and just throw a few fastballs.
All signs point toward the Browns going with Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate with the sixth pick. He’d fill a major need and be an immediate plug-and-play weapon into Todd Monken’s new offense. It doesn’t hurt that he has a National Championship under his belt and played his college ball just down the road in Columbus.
During a recent episode on 92.3 The Fan, former player Tyvis Powell called in to discuss the idea of drafting Tate. He floated the idea of potentially trading down a few spots and still being able to land a playmaker in the 10-12 area.
“I think trading back and getting more picks is always great, it just depends on if the person you want is still going to be there at ten. I wish our receiver room was better, because if our receiver room was better I feel like people would be more open to it. I think they would probably end up taking Carnell Tate at No. 6, but if you like the other wide receivers better, I would be open for them to trade back from No. 6 to No. 10 or No. 12 and still get that guy,” said Powell.
"I think they would probably end up taking Carnell Tate at (No. 6), but I would be open to them trade back to 10-12 and still get that guy (at WR)."
➡️ @1Tyvis w/ @earldapearl_216 and @Spencito_ on the #Browns best route with the No. 6 pick pic.twitter.com/wu3HsSzsK3
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) April 4, 2026
In recent years, it has become common for receivers to go higher in the draft than most mocks originally projected them to. Powell suggested that Makai Lemon or Jordyn Tyson will likely be there in the 10-12 range, and if the Browns like them as much or more than Tate, then it certainly makes sense to explore a move down the board.
As strong of a prospect as Tate is, he has never been the No. 1 guy at Ohio State since he overlapped with so many other incredible receivers like Marvin Harrison Jr., Emeka Egbuka, and Jeremiah Smith. If you’re going to use a top-ten pick on a receiver, you certainly want him to be capable of being a legitimate WR1.
That’s not to say that Tate can’t be that guy, but if the Browns have any doubts, they can recoup plenty more assets by moving down a bit and taking Lemon or Tyson.
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