Just a few weeks from the 2026 NFL Draft, the areas of need for the Cleveland Browns are evident.
Cleveland has to select a player that can be its bookend left tackle for the foreseeable future, or so it would seem, and the Browns have to add more firepower at wide receiver. Whether Cleveland adds reinforcements at wideout by way of the draft or via a trade is something that many fans are discussing, and they'll surely continue to do so.
Cleveland has addressed its offensive line the most this offseason, acquiring Tytus Howard via trade from the Houston Texans, and signing Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins to bolster the starting unit. Next, the Browns have to keep strengthening their offensive line with young talent, but there could be some rationale to Cleveland first going with pass-catching help at wide receiver to pair with exciting young tight end Harold Fannin Jr.
On that note, a recent two-round mock draft from FanSided's Lou Scataglia of NFL Spin Zone had the Browns taking two wideouts in the first round.
Scataglia had Cleveland selecting Jordyn Tyson and Denzel Boston, after first trading back with the Dallas Cowboys to pick No. 12 overall.
Why the Browns might be willing to go all-in at wide receiver in this draft
Tyson’s time missed because of injuries over the course of his collegiate career is his biggest blemish as a prospect, and that may be too tough to ignore for some. Although, as Scataglia noted, those injuries in college don’t necessarily suggest he’ll regularly miss significant time in the pros.
The 6-foot-2 Tyson could give Cleveland a receiver that can win in a number of areas, and he has reliable hands and he would provide a boost after the catch. He displayed those attributes over the past two seasons at Arizona State, en route to amassing 1,812 receiving yards and 18 touchdown catches over that span.
As for Boston, he could project as an outside-the-numbers target that could give Cleveland a formidable option for jump balls but also some double moves. He’s not a player that’d likely be running away from people after the catch, however, he is an intriguing receiver prospect in his own right with his size and catch point skills.
Boston’s propensity to get in the end zone in recent seasons with Washington definitely stood out as a receiver, too, as he posted 20 touchdowns over the last two years. His 6-foot-4, 212-pound frame is going to attract teams, and the Browns would be a logical suitor, particularly with Cleveland’s current lack of consistency outside the numbers at wideout.
Of course, all mocks are going to have their potential pluses and minuses from a fan’s perspective. One has to take Scataglia's two-round prediction with a grain of salt, particularly regarding a potential two-receiver first round by the Browns. Everybody and their brother, sister, and dog understands Cleveland has to shore up its left tackle position, given that spot having some uncertainty involving it still. The likes of Monroe Freeling, Francis Mauigoa, and Spencer Fano are a few of a number of tackles the Browns could eventually pull the trigger on early on, for example.
All things considered, though, this mock does also highlight how the Browns have to have more legitimacy within their receiving corps. And despite both having their own question marks, Tyson and Boston can be chain movers that can be vertical threats as well, and both profile as big-bodied targets that could help open up bigger windows. In addition, Tyson showed the propensity to generate production after the catch at Arizona State, which is a part of his skill set that could pop for Todd Monken and company.
Now, whether it’s via a trade-down or the Browns were to stand pat at least early on, Cleveland should likely go with a tackle at one of its top picks. Realistically, it’d behoove the Browns to do that for the short and long term, and to help with the evaluation of Shedeur Sanders. That’s in the event he eventually slots in at QB 1, no matter if that’s Week 1 or later, in that sense.
But in general, Scataglia having the Browns loading up early at wideout to aid in the development of a possible drafted QB from the 2027 Draft does have some merit. It just likely wouldn’t come back-to-back in the first round, provided a tackle isn’t taken at either slot, or a defensive playmaker. No matter what plays out at wideout, such as Cleveland targeting help there in middle rounds, however, the Browns selecting a corner at some point would seem to be a good possibility. And one could suggest that especially given how Martin Emerson Jr. did not play at all last season and underwhelmed in 2024.