CLEVELAND — The Browns own the No. 6 and No. 24 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. After a 5-12 disaster in 2025 that left them watching the playoffs from home, Cleveland turns to the draft to rebuild its offense. The unit finished near the bottom of the league in scoring and pass protection.
Browns Target Offensive Line and Wide Receiver in First Round
The defense kept games close last year. The offense did not. Injuries wrecked the line, especially at left tackle. Dawand Jones missed significant time with a knee injury and never found his groove. The group ranked 31st overall in pass protection.
Analysts see two clear paths at No. 6. Georgia left tackle Monroe Freeling tops many boards. Tim Crean at ClutchPoints, Mel Kiper Jr. at ESPN and Chad Reuter at NFL.com all slot him to Cleveland. Freeling stands 6-7 with elite measurables and raw power. He projects as a long-term blind-side protector the Browns have lacked.
Other mocks send Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate to Cleveland at No. 6. Field Yates at ESPN, Bleacher Report, Todd McShay at The Ringer and Daniel Jeremiah at NFL.com like the fit. Tate separates at the top of routes and brings speed that blows past defenders. The Browns lack a true No. 1 receiver. Jerry Jeudy never lived up to the hype after the trade, and the rest of the room offers little spark.
At No. 24 the conversation shifts to more weapons. Tim Crean projects Indiana’s Omar Cooper, a physical outside receiver who wins with strength and yards after catch. Chad Reuter has the Browns trading up to 22 for Arizona State’s Jordyn Tyson — a versatile playmaker with contested-catch ability but a troubling injury history that includes four hamstring issues last season. Mel Kiper Jr. likes USC’s Makai Lemon, the 5-11 dynamo who posted 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2025 despite his size. He would give quarterback whoever lines up a reliable deep threat.
Offensive line help remains an option too. Field Yates, Todd McShay, Daniel Jeremiah and Bleacher Report all have Utah’s Caleb Lomu in play at 24. Like Freeling, Lomu flashes elite movement and pass protection. The Browns have shown they can develop raw linemen into starters.
You could feel the frustration in the Dawg Pound last fall. The offense sputtered while the defense fought. Fans wore the same orange and brown but left with empty hope. This draft gives them reason to believe again.
“We have to get better all across the offense. The line, the skill positions — we need difference-makers.” — Andrew Berry, Browns GM
Playoff Implications and What Comes Next
The Browns sit just outside the playoff picture after missing out entirely in 2025. Two first-round picks give them swing-for-the-fences firepower. A tackle like Freeling or Lomu shores up blind-side protection for 2026 and beyond. A receiver like Tate, Cooper, Tyson or Lemon instantly upgrades the passing attack around young pieces already in place — tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and running back Quinshon Judkins.
The quarterback room remains unsettled, but the first round does not need to solve that. These picks build the supporting cast. By 2027 the offense could look entirely different. Cleveland has the assets. Now it needs the right fits to turn potential into wins.
The draft kicks off in two weeks. Every analyst agrees on one thing: the Browns cannot afford another quiet night in April.
