The focus of the Cleveland Browns’ 2026 free agency haul was the offensive line, a necessity with so many former starters on expiring contracts, and not enough young talent in the pipeline to help fill those voids.
General manager Andrew Berry exacerbated that problem by passing on the offensive line entirely in the 2025 NFL Draft. While that draft class has been an undeniable success for Cleveland, the team’s decision to double up at both quarterback and running back left fans rightfully scratching their heads.
The Browns also passed on drafting a wide receiver last year, though they did land an intriguing rookie free agent in former Texas Longhorns star Isaiah Bond. Cleveland’s wide receiver room struggled mightily last season, to the point where Harold Fannin Jr., as a third-round rookie tight end, led the team in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns.
With the 2026 league year now off and running, Browns fans have been waiting for the team to address their most glaring skill position void, but the team punted once again in March. As it stands, the team’s only wide receiver signing was former Baltimore Raven Tylan Wallace, a kickoff and punt return specialist with 22 career receptions over five pro seasons.
Cleveland thus feels destined to fill its wide receiver need in the 2026 NFL Draft, with some analysts mocking multiple receivers to the Browns. They hold nine selections, including two in the first round, so everything should be on the table when Day 1 arrives on April 23.
The Browns have a number of other clear roster needs, from left tackle and quarterback, to defensive back and edge rusher on defense. There’s still plenty of time for the Browns to bolster their wide receiver group prior to draft weekend, and Green Bay Packers expert Freddie Boston recently floated a trade candidate Cleveland shouldn’t ignore.
Per Boston, the Packers have been taking calls on 24-year-old wideout Dontayvion Wicks, and as a fifth-round pick in the 2023 draft, he might be the perfect trade target for Berry’s Browns.
“Wicks has shown flashes of star potential across three seasons, but either through inconsistent play or simply a lack of opportunities, he's never ascended to the next level,” Boston wrote for Lombardi Ave. "With only a year remaining on his rookie contract, Green Bay could decide to cash in now and acquire draft capital before he hits free agency."
Dontayvion Wicks might be exactly what the Browns need before the 2026 NFL Draft
Even after losing Romeo Doubs in free agency to the New England Patriots, the Packers have a surplus at wide receiver. They just used a first-round pick on Matthew Golden in 2025, and with Christian Watson and Jayden Reed both expected to be healthy to start the Packers’ offseason program, there’s only so many targets to go around.
Wicks has major upside, especially as a route runner. He’s struggled with drops at times, including a brutal nine during the 2024 season, but there’s clear potential there. His expiring rookie contract — he’s due just $3.6 million in cash in 2026, per Spotrac — could make him a worthy dart throw, assuming the Packers are willing to take a Day 3 draft pick in return.
Wicks has been consistent for the Packers in a depth role, piling up at least 30 catches in all three of his pro seasons. He’s averaging 12.3 yards per reception and has 11 career touchdowns. He’s also a bigger-bodied receiver at 6-foot-1 and over 200 pounds who could help Cleveland on the edge in the run game.
The Browns entered 2026 with three fifth-round draft picks, and have already swapped one of them for new starting right tackle Tytus Howard. Berry’s well-versed in the Howie Roseman school of collecting Day 3 draft capital, and leveraging those dart-throw picks to acquire NFL-ready talent to help sharpen the edges of the roster.
Wicks doesn’t project as a one-year rental, as he might be for a contender like the Buffalo Bills. The Browns would have to like the player enough to either sign him to a rookie extension immediately, or cross that bridge later this year.
The overarching point remains the same. A player of Wicks’ size, experience, and production for what should be a cheap price tag is exactly the type of deal Berry and company should be hunting for prior to this month's draft.