The Cleveland Browns wrapped up the first rookie minicamp of the Todd Monken era on Sunday, putting their 2026 draft class front and center. While there’s only so much fans can glean from non-contact football workouts in early May, this past weekend may have provided a preview for what’s sure to be one of the team’s fiercest positional battles.
No, we’re not talking about the never-ending quarterback debate between Deshaun Watson and Shedeur Sanders. This camp was all about the rookies, meaning sixth-round draft pick Taylen Green got an opportunity to lead the offense through drills in front of the coaching staff.
We’re talking about what’s coming at wide receiver. On paper, the group is already much improved from 2025, but that doesn't mean it's settled. It's just the opposite, actually.
Veterans and rookies alike are fighting for survival in the Cleveland Browns’ receiver room
Projecting Cleveland’s 2026 wide receiver depth chart is next to impossible. The team’s top veteran returners, Jerry Jeudy and Cedric Tillman, are both candidates to be traded this summer after the team used a pair of top-40 draft picks on wideouts KC Concepcion and Denzel Boston.
It’s a complicated situation with Jeudy. The Browns will be rolling out a young roster this year, especially on offense. With a pair of rookies poised for major roles right out of the chute, the room could use a veteran like Jeudy to lean on.
Jeudy’s coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro in 2025, though, and he’ll make around $13.5 million in cash if he sticks on Cleveland’s roster this season, per Spotrac. The Browns could justify cutting bait early, especially if a team like the Philadelphia Eagles comes calling with 2027 draft picks on the table.
Tillman might be the most tradable of the two players, as he’s set to earn $3.9 million in 2026 after hitting a performance escalator in his contract. None of that money is guaranteed, though, and based on how the Browns just treated a similar contract situation with offensive tackle Dawand Jones, Tillman feels like the clear odd-man out.
The only real roster locks are Jeudy, Concepcion, Boston, and second-year pro Isaiah Bond. Assuming the Browns keep six wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster, it’s anyone’s guess on who wins those final two spots.
One early favorite is Tylan Wallace, who’s more of a core special teams player but has direct ties to Monken from their time together with the Baltimore Ravens. The final spot could come down to veterans who have been around the team, like Malachi Corley and Jamari Thrash, or wild-card undrafted rookies like Aaron Anderson, who caught the attention of reporters early in camp with his strong performance.
Aaron Anderson (80) the LSU WR, has had a good showing today. Feel like every time I look up he’s making a play #Browns. pic.twitter.com/VpGeYiCPzX
— Ashley Bastock (@AshleyBastock42) May 8, 2026
The national media will obviously zero in on the quarterbacks, and understandably so. But there are a lot of layers to the Browns’ current wide receiver situation, with major changes likely on the horizon. The final spot on Cleveland's 53-man roster could easily come down to the wire.
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