ESPN insider reveals what makes Browns 'nervous' at No. 24 pick in NFL Draft originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cleveland Browns own two picks inside the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft. With their first pick, at No. 6 overall, they are trying to trade down.
But, regardless of whether they find a trade down or not, Andrew Berry and company are likely to take one of two positions: offensive tackle or wide receiver. OT is the more likely pick, with the WR depth in this class being better than the OT depth.
However, ESPN's Matt Miller revealed that the Browns are nervous about a wide receiver not making it to their second first-round pick at No. 24 overall. It's a reasonable concern, as a WR run might happen right in front of them.
"The Browns will be nervously watching and hoping a receiver run doesn't wipe out the board prior to this pick," Miller writes.
A wide receiver run taking place before the Browns' No. 24 overall pick is very possible. At No. 23, the Philadelphia Eagles might go for a WR with the A.J. Brown trade rumors. The Pittsburgh Steelers at No. 21 might consider a WR with their depth chart barren.
With some George Pickens uncertainty, the Dallas Cowboys at No. 20 might go a WR. The Carolina Panthers and New York Jets, at No. 19 and No. 16, respectively, are also teams that have been linked to WRs this offseason.
That's five teams that could end up taking a wide receiver in the first round picking in front of the Browns at No. 24 overall. And that doesn't even include a trade-up from a team behind the Browns.
But, how many WRs would have to be picked before the Browns miss out on a WR at No. 24 overall? There are three WRs set to go well before this pick: Ohio State's Carnell Tate, Arizona State's Jordyn Tyson, and USC's Makai Lemon.
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Within the range of all five of the teams mentioned are Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr., Washington's Denzel Boston, and Texas A&M's KC Concepcion. Only three of the five teams need to go WR for the Browns to miss on a WR at No. 24 overall.
Alabama's Germie Bernard and Louisville's Chris Bell are two Round 2 options for the Browns if they miss out on a WR at No. 24, but ideally, they land one of the top six WRs in Tate, Tyson, Lemon, Cooper, Washington, or Concepcion.
It's far from a guarantee that they get a WR down the board, but the odds are better than if they wait for an offensive tackle, as a run on OTs has been rumored for this year's draft.
The Browns are reportedly "nervous" about a WR run before their pick at No. 24 overall, and it's a reasonable fear. But the Browns should still be able to land a solid WR in this year's class, as long as they don't get extremely unlucky.
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