Based on the most trusted intel we can gather, the Cleveland Browns have three realistic options for pick No. 6 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft: either trade back, or stand pat and select a wide receiver or offensive tackle.
In a perfect world, game-changing talents like safety Caleb Downs, linebacker Sonny Styles, running back Jeremiyah Love, and edge defender David Bailey would be slam-dunk options for the Browns, if one of them slips outside the top-five. But Cleveland’s situation is far from perfect, and the majority of experts believe they’ll prioritize their glaring needs at receiver and tackle, given the premium placed on those positions in the draft.
GM Andrew Berry cooked up a mini firestorm last week at the NFL’s annual league meetings when he basically admitted that trading out of the sixth pick is an option the team will seriously consider. That strategy comes with major risk, however, as this 2026 class feels more top-heavy than years past.
Browns fans would love to see their team make a move to solidify this year’s roster — not future rosters in 2027 and beyond — by sticking at No. 6 overall and selecting Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. He belongs in that range as the consensus No. 1 wideout in the class. The Browns desperately need help for tight end Harold Fannin Jr. at the skill positions. And he’s been starring in the Browns’ backyard over in Columbus for the past three years.
The only logical argument against taking Tate, or one of the other top wideouts in this class like Jordyn Tyson or Makai Lemon, at No. 6 comes down to positional depth. Cleveland also holds premium picks at No. 24 and No. 39 overall, so the game within the game is projecting which group — wide receiver or offensive tackle — will have the best talent available further down the board (or via a trade-up).
NFL insider Peter Schrager may have just ended that debate in his latest appearance on the Pat McAfee Show. The ESPN analyst — who’s as plugged into NFL circles as anyone in the game — sees a first-round run on wide receivers forming similar to the drafts in 2020 and 2022, when six wide receivers were selected inside the top 25 picks.
“I think we’re going to get a wide receiver run in the first half of it,” Schrager said when asked about the deepest position groups in this year’s draft. “So, the six names that I would look at — and maybe not all six go, but I think once one goes, they’re all going to go flying off because that’s a position of need — I think with the wide receiver spot you have Tate, Tyson, of course, Makai Lemon is beloved by scouts, Omar Cooper, the Indiana guy, and then you’ve got KC Concepcion out of Texas A&M, and then Denzel Boston. Those six are likely first-round picks. I would say they could go as high as No. 25, all six of them.”
All six of these wide receivers should go in the first round. All six could be gone by the time Cleveland is picking up a 24. https://t.co/yWb1eZ27nq
— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) April 14, 2026
A potential early run on wide receivers could force the Browns’ hand at No. 6
Schrager just inadvertently solved one of the biggest questions surrounding Day 1 of the 2026 draft. There’s been a growing expert consensus on how the first five picks could go, with the expectation being some combination of quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Love, and a few can’t-miss defenders.
The Browns’ need at left tackle is undeniable, but they just traded for (and extended) a veteran starter in Tytus Howard, and they have an in-house option for the left side in Dawand Jones (if they can find a way to keep him healthy).
What Cleveland does not have is a No. 1 wide receiver, and the team has done next to nothing to address the skill positions so far in free agency. Based on Schrager’s insight, the best path would be to secure one of the top wide receivers at No. 6, and then react to the board at offensive tackle, potentially with a trade up the board from No. 24 overall.
Schrager’s take on guys like Cooper, Concepcion, and Boston potentially flying off the board inside the top 25 picks is what’s most telling. The Browns’ dream scenario would obviously be to land a future franchise cornerstone at each position. Expert mocks have made it feel like a pairing of Utah tackle Spencer Fano and Cooper, who just won a national title with the Indiana Hoosiers, is possible, but Schrager just crushed those dreams.
We’ve seen some huge runs at wide receiver like Schrager’s referring to in recent drafts. In 2020, six came off the board over a span of nine selections: Henry Ruggs (No. 12, Raiders), Jerry Jeudy (No. 15, Broncos), CeeDee Lamb (No. 17, Cowboys), Jalen Reagor (No. 21, Eagles), Justin Jefferson (No. 22, Vikings), and Brandon Aiyuk (No. 25, 49ers). It happened again in 2022, with Drake London (No. 8, Falcons), Garrett Wilson (No. 10, Jets), Chris Olave (No. 11, Saints), Jameson Williams (No. 12, Lions), Jahan Dotson (No. 16, Commanders), and Treylon Burks (No. 18, Titans) all coming off the board inside the top 20.
If Berry and the Browns are sensing a similar vibe in this 2026 draft, they would be wise to settle their receiver need early, and then attack their offensive tackle need accordingly after the board begins to reveal itself.
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