Browns might finally hit on this mid-round WR gamble

Finding that diamond in the rough is sometimes a lifelong search, especially for NFL teams like the Cleveland Browns, who haven't had much luck in acquiring enough talent to maintain consistent success. Trying to find the talent that ultimately helps teams like Cleveland succeed can be difficult, especially when it comes to the draft and mid- to late-round picks.

There's been a lot written about the upcoming NFL Draft, and too many mock drafts have already been made as we prepare for the big event in late April. Sports writers and fans are all taking guesses at this point, two months out, on who each team might draft.

In one recent Sports Illustrated article, writer Justin Melo gave his thoughts on potential mid-round gems for each team in this year's draft. He identified wide receiver Jeff Caldwell from the Cincinnati Bearcats as being the player the Browns would draft in the fourth round.

Caldwell played one year in Cincinnati after having spent three years at Lindenwood University outside St. Louis, Missouri. At Lindenwood, Caldwell finished with 1,772 yards receiving and 23 touchdowns. Last year with the Bearcats, Caldwell had a decent season, finishing with 478 yards on 32 receptions and six touchdowns.

Jeff Caldwell could be Browns’ 2026 draft gem

The tall (6-foot-5) and lanky Caldwell has made some positive early impressions among NFL scouts as his long strides have helped him separate down the field from his opponents. He has also been reported to have uncanny leaping ability, jumping close to 12 feet in the broad jump at the most recent Shrine Bowl.  

He will be at the upcoming NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, and some reports suggest he is quickly moving up draft boards at the wide receiver position because of those intangibles of athleticism and size.

Cleveland always seems to need help in the wide receiver room. Historically speaking, the Browns have not taken many wide receivers in the draft. They didn’t draft a wide receiver a year ago and have only taken six wide receivers in total since 2019. Players like Jamari Thrash, David Bell, and Anthony Schwartz were all mid-round draft picks, and none of them had much success with Cleveland.

The Browns and general manager Andrew Berry have instead tried using trades to strengthen their wide receiver corps. Both Amari Cooper and Jerry Jeudy were traded to Cleveland in recent years. Cooper is now retired, and Jeudy remains the team’s primary target.

As for Caldwell, the tape speaks for itself and projects a player the Browns would be excited to draft because of his potential. The problem is that Cleveland has been in this position before, and that potential sometimes never seems to pan out, and the team is back at square one when trying to find good wide receiver talent.

We will likely see and hear a lot more about Caldwell as the NFL Combine kicks off Thursday in Indianapolis. For the Browns, drafting Caldwell would certainly give the team more talent in the wide receiver room. That's definitely something Cleveland needs more of, but will that talent last and actually produce long-term?

Only time will tell, but taking a player like Caldwell is the type of low-risk and high-reward draft move that could pay out big dividends.