The Cleveland Browns currently possess two first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, and after the impactful class the franchise put together in 2025, Cleveland is hoping to do it again. They’ll get that attempt started with the sixth-overall pick, before returning later in the first round with pick No. 24.
As the draft nears, a debate has broken out among Browns fans and media members about what’s the best approach for Cleveland to take in the first round. While it’s clear the franchise needs to leave Day 1 of the draft with a left tackle and a wide receiver, the question is which position should they focus on first. Which position needs to be selected at six, and which can wait until 24?
Draft analyst Ryan Wilson believes there shouldn’t be a debate, at all, for Cleveland, and he explained why in a recent appearance on The Ken Carman Show. When asked if pick No. 6 was too high for left tackle Monroe Freeling, who has become a popular Browns prospect, Wilson quickly answered yes.
The analyst went on to jump into the WR vs. OL discussion, saying if the conversation at six is between Carnell Tate and Freeling, the Browns should sprint to select the wide receiver. The reason why, according to Wilson, is that a top-10 wideout will be Cleveland’s No. 1 receiver the second he’s drafted. An offensive lineman taken in the same spot isn't even guaranteed to see the field in year one.
"I would take Spencer Fano, Caleb Lomu, Kaidyn Proctor ahead of him... Dawand Jones, are we done with that?.. If we're sitting there at 6 and it's Carnell Tate vs Monroe Freeling, I'm running up there to get Carnell Tate."
— 92.3 The Fan (@923TheFan) March 17, 2026
📞@ryanwilsonCBS says 6th overall is too high for OT… pic.twitter.com/CB9ns7eAz1
Draft expert says Browns should draft receiver first because of immediate impact
Considering which position is most likely to contribute right away, Wilson believes Cleveland selecting a wideout first is a no-brainer. That’s certainly a fair point. Of course, a point can be made that the draft is more about the next decade than the next year, but even still, the 2026 offensive tackle class isn’t believed to be a group of franchise left tackles that teams have to have.
That’s part of another reason why the Browns going receiver at six makes more sense. The tackle class is jumbled together, with many draft analysts feeling that there isn’t much difference in quality of the tackle a team can get at No. 6 vs. No. 24. The drop-off at receiver in that range, however, is expected to be much greater. So all things considered, the best plan for the first round of the draft is for the Browns to take a wide receiver first, then a tackle.