The Cleveland Browns have multiple needs to satisfy in the 2026 NFL Draft. Fortunately, they have two first-round picks to start addressing them.
The Browns hold the No. 6 overall pick, which they earned themselves by again having one of the worst records in the league. They also have the No. 24 pick from the Jacksonville Jaguars, which they acquired by trading down at last year’s draft.
With no worthy quarterback likely to be available at No. 6, the Browns will likely go one of two ways with their initial pick. They can look to select a top wide receiver prospect to lead that position group, or choose an elite tackle to help rebuild the offensive line.
The Browns are being connected to an “in-state star” at wide receiver in PFF’s latest mock draft, choosing Ohio State standout Carnell Tate.
“New head coach Todd Monken knows he needs to build a better receiving corps and reinvent his team’s offensive line, as the Browns earned the worst PFF pass-blocking grade and the second-worst PFF receiving grade in 2025. The latter is addressed here with an in-state star in Tate. His 151.8 passer rating when targeted led all college wideouts this past season,” Chadwick wrote.
Finished writing up the top WRs and I ended with Carnell Tate as WR1
Explosive, can sink his hips, good route salesman, and has the best ball skills in this class. Biggest concern is that he's not very dynamic or balanced after the catch pic.twitter.com/iYGMBUic6G
— James Foster (@NoFlagsFilm) February 7, 2026
Tate is already off the board by then in some other mock drafts, so this could be a fortunate outcome for the Browns. He and Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State are considered the top two wide receiver prospects, so being able to add one of them with their glaring need at the position could be Cleveland’s top priority.
Limited to 11 games last season by an undisclosed injury, Tate had 51 receptions for 875 yards, which works out to an impressive 17.2 yards per catch average. He also had nine touchdown catches.
The Browns could desperately use that big-play ability. If Shedeur Sanders remains at quarterback, he did show that he can get the ball downfield, so the two could combine to make an interesting young tandem.
It is unknown which position Monken will want to prioritize early in the draft. In three seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Baltimore Ravens, they led the NFL in rushing yards, so he could look to bolster that part of the attack first by fixing the offensive line.
The Browns should be able to find a future star at No. 6 no matter which path they decide to take.
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