Five Prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft That Would Be Perfect Fits for the Cleveland Browns
On Monday, Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Berry held his first press conference of this year’s NFL Combine cycle. Berry noted that although his team is currently suffering a huge cap room shortage, mostly due to the much-maligned contract of quarterback Deshaun Watson, the Browns will plan on bringing free agents into Cleveland. Not only that, Berry was noncommittal to his roster’s three quarterbacks, Watson, Sheduer Sanders, and Dillon Gabriel. With question marks all around the offense for the Dawg Pound, Berry’s comments surely don’t narrow down where the Browns will go in the 2026 NFL Draft, but we do have an idea.
One of the biggest areas of concern for the Browns last season was the offensive weapons those quarterbacks were throwing to, which ranked 31st out of 32 teams in terms of receiving yards, coupled with the departure of veteran tight end David Njoku, who announced that he will be seeking a new home via free agency, the Browns will need to add more to a passing offense that is certainly lacking. The offensive line also struggled mightily, allowing 51 sacks and ranking nearly dead last by PFF standards. Similar to Njoku, veteran Pro-Bowler Wyatt Teller will be leaving as well, and it’s also been rumoured that Browns mainstay Joel Bitonio may hang up his cleats. Regardless of who is taking snaps under center for Cleveland, the Browns desperately need to address other areas before they can even begin to groom their next QB1. With a deep draft class in 2026, here are five prospects that would look great in orange and brown.
Carnell Tate - Wide Receiver, Ohio State
This home-run hitter has been largely mocked to stay in-state, as Mel Kiper Jr’s recent mock draft has Cleveland going the route of the receiver with the sixth pick in the draft. This is for a good reason, as Carnell Tate might just be the best wide receiver prospect in the entire class. Tate is coming off two dominant years as a Buckeye, posting 13 receiving touchdowns and 1,608 receiving yards over the past two seasons, despite being the second-option receiver for an Ohio State offense that boasts the prestigious Jeremiah Smith. Tate’s six-foot-three frame and lanky arms are comparable to Bengals’ wideout Tee Higgins, and if that’s any indication of how he’ll translate to the professional game, then Cleveland should definitely consider pulling the trigger. The Browns may have an experienced wide receiver in Jerry Jeudy, but outside of that, there’s no other standout player at the position. The selection of Tate gives Cleveland an immediate weapon that’s ready for Week One, competition for Jeudy in a lackluster wide receiver room, and keeps a fan-favorite in the state of Ohio.
Francis Mauigoa - Offensive Lineman, Miami
This year's class is certainly deep in terms of the wide receiver position, but it’s not exactly swarming with blue-chip offensive line prospects. It’s not entirely out of the picture that Cleveland would either pass on Tate for the best available lineman or that Tate could already be gone by the sixth pick. If that possibility comes to pass, the Browns should be able to take Francis Mauigoa, who was just a game away from becoming a National Champion. This six-foot-six, 335-pound mammoth was an All-American for the Hurricanes, allowing just two sacks in 826 snaps. Analysts have been debating whether Mauigoa or someone else is the top offensive lineman of the 2026 class, but they usually agree that his standing as a top-tier draft pick is unwavering and could be a dominant offensive line addition to a needy team. Mauigoa would slide in at right tackle for the Browns, who need bodies at pretty much every position on the line.
KC Concepcion - Wide Receiver, Texas A&M
Should the Browns opt to go with a tackle early in the draft, they would certainly need to address the gaping hole at receiver with the 24th pick in the draft. This pick could be one of several wide receivers that should be available in the back half of the draft, but Kevin ‘KC’ Concepcion is an intriguing prospect that Cleveland will have plenty of opportunities to consider. Concepcion is incredibly shifty off the line and can beat most cornerbacks who aren’t agile enough to handle him in press coverage. He excels at getting open quickly, which, for a team that utilized two young quarterbacks and is trying to repair a makeshift offensive line, the Browns could potentially view Concepcion as a guy who would pair very well with Sanders or Gabriel. In 2025, Concepcion also excelled as a punt returner for the Aggies, taking two deep kicks to the house, which the Browns would view favorably, as punt returning was a serious problem area this past season. If Berry and Cleveland view fixing the offensive line as their most pressing issue, then finding a potential steal like Concepcion with a late first-round pick would be a tremendous job from a front office in desperate need of a win.
Monroe Freeling - Offensive Lineman, Georgia
Coming from Georgia, a program that produces NFL-caliber prospects every single year, Monroe Freeling has been labeled as a prospect that may need some tinkering before he’s a fully-fledged professional lineman, but that can be true of nearly every player on this list. Freeling should be available at 24 if the Browns opt for Tate or another player earlier in the draft, and if Cleveland goes with him, they’re nabbing an athletic six-foot-seven tackle who can do pretty much anything that’s asked of him. The Bulldogs run a balanced, pro-style offense that saw Freeling perform very well in both passing and running situations. He’s also most comfortable with handling bull-rushing defensive linemen, which would be a perfect fit in an AFC North Division that features T.J. Watt and Trey Hendrickson. If the Browns can fix Freeling’s errors with oversetting and falling off blocks, then Freeling would bring tremendous upside and value at the 24th pick.
Arvell Reese - Linebacker, Ohio State
Browns fans may roll their eyes at the idea of adding another player to an already talented defense, especially when the offense has such dire needs, but there is a world where the Cleveland native Arvell Reese falls to sixth. Should the Arizona Cardinals value an offensive lineman or a weapon like Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, other prospects may be picked ahead of Reese, and if he’s there at six, Cleveland should really think hard on if they should really go with what they need over the best player available. Reese is an absolute freak on defense, as he’s capable of being a run-stopping outside linebacker or a pass-rushing force off the edge. In his All-American 2025 campaign, Reese was a veritable tackler, pulling in 69, and also sacked the quarterback over six times. If Reese pulls off a great combine performance or if the New York Jets really love him with the second pick in the draft, then this might not be a decision that the Browns will be able to make. However, as previously mentioned, there are several ways the draft could shake after the Las Vegas Raiders predictably take Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza with the first pick in the draft, and the Browns need to prepare for that.
