One of the Cleveland Browns’ biggest “misses” this past offseason was not bringing in more talent at the wide receiver position. Though it was logical to think that Jerry Jeudy could handle a heavy workload
in 2025, the team didn’t foresee him leading the NFL in drops heading into week 11.
Besides Jeudy, nobody has really stepped up aside from Cedric Tillman, who can’t seem to stay healthy. Jamari Thrash has looked decent when on the field, but he’s likely nothing more than a solid contributor in Cleveland. Malachi Corley has also looked intriguing as a gadget-type player, so it’s interesting to see what the team decides to do with him after the season.
Heading into the 2026 NFL Draft, the Browns’ biggest needs will undoubtedly be quarterback, offensive line, and wide receiver. Though it looks like the offensive tackle class won’t be as strong as it has been in recent years, the wide receiver class absolutely does.
Here are five wide receivers who could be on Andrew Berry’s radar in rounds 1 and 2 in April:
Jordyn Tyson – Arizona State
Tyson has been dominant for the Sun Devils in every game that he’s played in, and he continues to show why so many NFL teams are salivating over him. At 6’2”, 200 lbs., he has enough size and athleticism to be a day one starter at any spot in the wide receiver room.
His crisp route-running ability, technical prowess, and body control are what allows him to dominate at multiple levels of the field. He’s also an incredibly aware and smart player who knows how to use his body to shield defenders away from the catch point in tight situations, easily plucking the ball out of the air in most cases.
Tyson might be the only locked-and-loaded WR1 in this class, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he were Cleveland’s top-ranked overall target in the 2026 draft. Players like CeeDee Lamb and Ja’Marr Chase have been floated around as far as potential NFL comps.
Carnell Tate – Ohio State
Tate has been gaining a lot of ground over the past month in the NFL Draft world, and for good reason. He’s been “okay” as a separator in college, but where he wins is at the catch point. He extends and times up his jumps incredibly well, attacking the football in the air and making consistent plays away from his frame.
Ohio State has used him all over the field as well, creating mismatches against smaller nickels in the slot, and taking advantage of his length on the outside and in the red zone.
Though he’s not as explosive off the line as Tyson is, Tate’s incredibly smooth in and out of his breaks, so he’s very productive after he gets past 3-4 yards downfield. Tate has begun to see quite a bit of first-round projection in the past couple of weeks.
Denzel Boston – Washington
Like Tate, Boston has been rocketing up wide receiver lists recently; some even have him as high as WR2 right now.
Boston’s size (6’4”, 210 lbs.) and length are what make him stand out, especially on the outside for the Huskies. His incredible ball skills and contested-catch ability have been drawing in NFL teams since his 2024 season with Washington.
Unlike some other bigger-bodied receivers, Boston’s able to be consistent on double-moves due to his above-average short-area quickness and hip flexibility. Though he’ll most likely be an outside-only receiver at the NFL level, he has the overall skill set to develop into a potential WR1 for a team like Cleveland.
Chris Bell – Louisville
Bell has been taking the college football world by storm since the moment the 2025 season kicked off.
He’s a powerful receiver with above-average size at 6’2”, 220 lbs., and knows how to use every bit of that size to his advantage. He’s a very densely built player who’s incredibly effective after the catch due to his aggressiveness and physicality. Bell looks like a slightly bigger version of Deebo Samuel with the ball in his hands.
He has excellent hands and makes constant plays on the ball in contested-catch situations, allowing quarterbacks the freedom to feel confident in throwing the ball up to him in high-pressure spots.
Bell would be a nice fit in Kevin Stefanski’s offense due to his elite technique and effectiveness on in-breaking routes. He does a great job of pushing corners off of him and selling deep routes before working across their face on slants and digs.
Chris Brazzell II – Tennessee
Brazzell is a player who came on late, despite dominating at the G5 level in 2023 at Tulane. He then transferred to Tennessee in 2024 and had a pretty underwhelming season, but has really come on in 2025 thanks to his elite combination of size and speed.
At 6’5”, 200 lbs., he towers over most defensive backs, and that length has made him an absolute nightmare for defenders to try and stop this year. Not only is he excellent at high-pointing to football, but he’s another player who knows how to shield defenders away from the ball and contort his body around to give him an advantage when the ball enters his catch radius.
He’s a traditional “X” receiver with the above-average speed to expose defenses downfield. He’s fairly explosive off the line of scrimmage and has a solid release package to help beat press corners. Brazzell might be the Browns’ best option in round 2 if they hold off on selecting one until then.
Who are some of your favorite receivers in the 2026 draft class? Join fellow Browns fans in the comment section below.
