Depending on how things unfold during the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns could have the opportunity to take the first wide receiver off the board with the sixth-overall pick. For a Browns team that frequently picks in the top 10, this wouldn’t be new. However, Cleveland is still searching for a No. 1 wideout.
The Browns had the opportunity to find one in the 2025 draft, when they had the second-overall pick, but they traded back to No. 5 and selected defensive tackle Mason Graham. Three picks later, the Carolina Panthers drafted Tetairoa McMillan, who was effectively the first true wide receiver selected, excluding two-way sensation Travis Hunter. McMillan went on to establish himself as Carolina’s No. 1 receiver, helping the Panthers make the playoffs and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.
After passing on McMillan, Cleveland still struggled to have consistency on the perimeter at receiver. Turns out, the team may have passed on him because of his performance in the pre-draft process.
Draft analyst Dane Brugler recently appeared on the BigPlay Cleveland Show, and shared that part of the reason why the Browns passed on McMillan was because of his incomplete testing profile and 4.53-second 40-yard dash.
Considering how McMillan turned out — and his pre-draft similarities to Ohio State receiver prospect Carnell Tate — Brugler wonders if Cleveland will handle things differently this time around.
.@dpbrugler gives one reason the Browns passed on Tet McMillan, and it may be foreshadowing for Carnell Tate. 👀
— BIGPLAY Cleveland Show (@BIGPLAYCLEshow) April 14, 2026
"They had an incomplete testing profile on McMillan. All he did was a 40yd dash, and he ran a 4.53. What did Tate do?"
presented by @FanDuel https://t.co/sNKNQJSEH5 pic.twitter.com/c0TW23YXhV
The Browns may not want to repeat their Tetairoa McMillan mistake at No. 6
As Brugler pointed out, Tate, like McMillan, only ran the 40-yard dash, and timed in the same range. The analyst argues that this typically results in the team passing on a wideout early in the draft, but after seeing talented receivers get past the Browns, only to thrive with other teams, Cleveland may be ready to switch it up.
Cleveland certainly needs a new philosophy because the franchise hasn’t done a good job of drafting receivers in recent years. Since Andrew Berry took over as general manager in 2020, the Browns have selected Donovan Peoples-Jones (2020 6th round), Anthony Schwartz (2021 3rd round), David Bell (2022 3rd round), Michael Woods II (2022 6th round), Cedric Tillman (2023 3rd round), and Jamari Thrash (2024 5th round).
In those six years, plenty of really good receivers have entered the league, and the Browns skipped over many of them. Clearly, their evaluation process needs to be revamped, and 2026 is the perfect time to do it.
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