Skip to main content
Browns Digest

One Wide Receiver Prospect for Cleveland Browns To Watch in Each Round of NFL Draft

It's no secret that the Browns are locked on the wideout position as the 2026 NFL Draft gets closer and closer.
Rafael Zamorano|
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) makes a catch for a touchdown Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate (17) makes a catch for a touchdown Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025, during the Big Ten football championship against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Cleveland Browns

The 2026 NFL Draft is just around the corner, and mock draft season is in frenzy mode.

The Cleveland Browns are seemingly locked in on wide receivers, after already hosting eight of them on pre-draft visits over the past few days.

With the clock ticking down and the Browns holding nine total picks across seven rounds, here is one wide receiver prospect to keep on Cleveland’s radar for each round. 

First Round: Carnell Tate, Ohio State

This is the pick that defines everything. If the Browns go for Tate, they’ll have to do it at six, since it’s highly unlikely he would still be available past the eighth or ninth pick. Should the Browns go for an offensive linemen at the top of the order, they’ll certainly be targeting another wideout with their 24th pick, assuming they don’t move. 

Tate is such an effortless wide receiver while on his routes, and shines at contested catches, too. He’s the boundary wideout that the Browns desperately need in order to fully maximize their passing game and force the defenses to defend the whole field. 

Second Round: Germie Bernard, Alabama

Unlike Tate, Bernard looks better suited to play inside, and he’s at his best with the ball in his hands. The Tide used Bernard all over the formation, and that versatility could be very well utilized in the proper passing scheme. 

Bernard looks like a reach for the top of the second round, but waiting for him to fall into the third might not be an option, as his draft stock is seemingly on the rise. Bernard looks like a Day 1 starter if he lands on a roster like Cleveland’s, working out of the slot. 

Third Round: Elijah Sarratt, Indiana

Indiana’s second wideout prospect this year, after Omar Cooper Jr. --who’s expected to be elected in the bottom of the first round -- has gained a lot of momentum through the last few months. At 6’ 2’’ and 213 pounds, he’s another big wideout who can play on the outside. 

His 15 touchdowns in 2025 are a very important stat to keep in mind for a team that got only four TDs out of its wideouts last year. 

Fourth Round: Ted Hurst, Georgia State

Hurst is a name that keeps coming up lately, despite the fact that he didn’t come from a big powerhouse school. A transfer from Valdosta State, Hurst is tall, slender athlete with good vertical speed on the outside and a 6’ 4’’ frame.

Hurst is raw, but has adequate tools and projects nicely to the next level, but he does need some work.  

Fifth Round: Skyler Bell, Connecticut

Some observers have Bell much higher, but I think he’ll fall somewhere in this range. A quick inside receiver who knows how to work in space, Bell would get some minutes right off the bat in Cleveland.

The big issue with Bell is that he’s not a natural hands guy, meaning there will be body catches and drops in his game. 

Sixth Round: Brenen Thompson, Mississippi State

The former Sooner and Longhorn is a small but lightning-fast receiver who can threaten the deep end of the field. He doesn’t have the size to fight for contested balls, nor does he have a big catch radius, so his route tree is limited in this sense. 

Thompson should be able to contribute on special teams if needed.  

Seventh Round: C.J. Daniels, Miami

Not particularly fast, and carries some durability questions, but Daniels has good body control and size for the position. 

Since he’s not as good an athlete as the top prospects in his class, he has to really work at his craft in order to gain separation, which can be a good thing, instead of just relying on physical attributes. 

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Rafael Zamorano
RAFAEL ZAMORANO

Rafael brings more than two decades worth of experience writing all things football.

Share on XFollow RafaZamoranoNFL
Home/News