The Cleveland Browns are in a precarious position heading into the 2026 NFL draft.
Thet team has the No. 6 and 24 overall picks in the first round, and several positions of need - including quarterback.
Cleveland doesn't necessarily need to draft a QB. It has Shedeur Sanders, who's coming off a rookie season in which he showed both growing pains and flashes of superstar potential.
And if there were a year the Browns didn't take a signal-caller in the first round, this year would be it. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza is the clear-cut No. 1 passer, but after that it's a large drop off to the next QB.
Alabama's Ty Simpson, LSU's Garrett Nussmeier, and Miami's Carson Beck make up that next tier, but only Simpson has been garnering first-round buzz.
If Cleveland chooses to roll with Sanders as its 2026 starter and hold out for the 2027 draft class - a loaded group that will likely feature Texas' Arch Manning, Oregon's Dante Moore, Ohio State's Julian Sayin, Texas Tech's Brendan Sorsby, Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss, South Carolina's LaNorris Sellers, LSU's Sam Leavitt, Oklahoma's John Mateer - it could use the 2026 draft to build a better supporting cast on offense.
And that's exactly what Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus believes they will do. In his latest mock draft, Wasserman has the Browns going offense with their first four picks, including using the No. 6 pick on Ohio State receiver Carnell Tate and the 70th pick on Indiana receiver Elijah Saratt.
"Cleveland needs additional talent nearly everywhere on offense," Wasserman wrote. "They start with a wide receiver in Carnell Tate, who earned an outstanding 89.0 PFF receiving grade for Ohio State this past season. Tate would immediately become the Browns’ best vertical threat."
Wasserman also projects the Browns will take Alabama offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor with the 24th overall pick and Oregon guard Emmanual Pregnon with the 39th overall pick.
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