As we continue to count down the days until the 2026 NFL Draft (just 23 days away), we at EssentiallySports are doing one mock draft per day until we cover all 32 NFL teams. We’ve already knocked out the teams with the first five picks in the draft, and now we’re moving on to the Cleveland Browns, who hold picks six and 24 in the first round.

But before we get into the mock, if you want more in-depth NFL coverage from an NFL Expert who has been around the league for 20+ years, make sure you check out the latest episode of the DraftCast with Tony Pauline.

Tony's Top Prospects For QB For BROWNS

VIEW ALL TONY'S PICKS ON THE BIG BOARD

The Browns enter the draft with a ton of needs, so I did my best to fill them in my latest 7-round mock draft.

Round 1, Pick 6: WR Carnell Tate

The Browns have a lot of flexibility at pick six. Fernando Mendoza is coming off the board first overall, and then the next four picks should be all defensive players, with the possibility of Jeremiyah Love going somewhere in there. Luckily for Cleveland, their biggest needs are on offense, so they should have their pick of the litter when they pick at six.

The Browns could very well go with someone like Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, or Monroe Freeling here to fill their need at offensive tackle or maybe even draft Ty Simpson if they’re desperate enough, but I have them taking the top receiver in the draft, Carnell Tate. Cleveland might have the worst receiving corps in the league, and if it’s not the worst, it’s one of the bottom three. If they want to give whoever their starter is in 2026 a chance, they need to add receiver help.

Cleveland’s a bit of a wild card here, but I believe they’ll end up picking a receiver at six.

Round 1, Pick 24: OT Kadyn Proctor

After they passed on offensive tackle at six, I don’t think they do it again at 24. Kadyn Proctor is a very polarizing prospect. Some view him as a potential top-15 pick, while others think he could slide to the end of the first round. He is absolutely massive at 6-foot-7, 352 pounds, and he tested relatively well at the combine, but he’s a work in progress.

I think the Browns actually did a pretty good job rebuilding their offensive line this offseason. They trade for Tytus Howard and signed Zion Johnson and Elgton Jenkins, but they still need a young tackle, and Proctor can give them that.

This draft class might not have the superstar tackles we see most years, but there are a lot of really good players who should be starters in this league, and Proctor is one of them.

Round 2, Pick 39: DE R Mason Thomas

R Mason Thomas is an undersized pass rusher, but while Myles Garrett is all about strength and power, Thomas is about speed and agility.

The Browns have needed a pass rusher opposite of Myles Garrett for a little while now, and Thomas could be that guy. Yes, he’s only 6-foot-2, 241 pounds, but he has 4.67 speed with great bend. He’s not a great run defender, but he’s a very efficient pass rusher, earning an 88+ pass rush grade from PFF the last two seasons.

Garrett already receives a ton of double teams, but is consistently able to beat them. Can you imagine if the Browns had another pass rusher on the other side that could consistently win one-on-one matchups? Their pass rush would be even more unstoppable.

Round 3, Pick 70: QB Garrett Nussmeier

Garrett Nussmeier is going to go a lot higher than people think. I know he did not have the best season last year, but he was very obviously dealing with an injury – something he’s been very open about since Brian Kelly was fired. If you go back and watch his 2024 tape, you’ll see why he was viewed as the top quarterback in the class after last season.

The Browns are in a position where they need to take a chance on someone like Nussmeier. This QB class doesn’t have elite talent at the top, but there are a ton of very intriguing prospects in rounds three, four, and five. Guys like Nussmeier, Drew Allar, and Cade Klubnik all underperformed in 2025, but if they land in the right system, they could develop into starters.

In round three, this is a low-risk, high-reward pick. Nussmeier could end up being your starting quarterback for the next 10 years, but at worst, he’s better than Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel and can be a backup for a long time.

Round 4, Pick 107: IOL Jake Slaughter

Tackle is the Browns’ biggest need on their offensive line, but interior offensive line help is also pretty high on their priority list. Jake Slaughter is a center, but he also has the ability to play guard if needed. His versatility could make him very useful to the Browns, who need depth at both of those positions.

During his time at Florida, Slaughter played over 2,000 snaps at center and allowed just four sacks and 5 pressures. He earned an 82+ pass blocking grade in each of his last two seasons, but was also an incredibly consistent run blocker for the Gators. Slaughter was a key piece of Florida’s offensive line, and he’s going to be a solid starter/high-level backup in the league for a long time.

Round 5, Pick 146: WR De’Zhaun Stribling

I already took Carnell Tate in the first round, but the Browns need to target more than just one receiver in this draft class. Even with Tate, their receiver room would be one of the worst in the league, so I spent the first of Cleveland’s two fifth-rounders on a high-upside receiver in De’Zhaun Stribling.

Stribling transferred to Ole Miss before the start of the 2025 season after an 800-yard year at Oklahoma State, and he quickly made a name for himself in the SEC, catching 55 passes for 811 yards and six scores. He was one of Trinidad Chambliss’ favorite targets, and after he ran a 4.36-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2, he is rising up some draft boards.

Tate is a big, dominant outside receiver that can go up and make contested catches (85.7 percent contested catch rate, which ranked third in the nation), and while Stribling can do that, he’s more of a burner that’s going to get behind a defense. Both of these guys would be top-three receivers on the Browns’ roster.

Round 5, Pick 149: DT DeMonte Capehart

Everyone talks about Peter Woods as the athletic defensive tackle coming out of Clemson, but his counterpart, DeMonte Capehart, is pretty dang athletic himself.

At the NFL Combine, Capehart ran a 4.85-second 40-yard dash with a 33.5-inch vertical and a near-9-foot broad jump. And he did all of that at 6-foot-5, 313 pounds. He’s never been an incredible pass rusher, but he’s a very strong run defender, and with Garrett and Thomas coming off the edge, the Browns don’t need a big push from the interior of their line to get after the passer.

Capehart and the rest of Clemson’s defense were very disappointing last season, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be solid players in the league.

Round 6, Pick 206: TE Dae’Quan Wright

Dae’Quan Wright transferred to Ole Miss a couple of years ago and put himself on the map. In 2024, he caught 27 passes for 394 yards and four scores, but in 2025, he upped those numbers to 39 catches, 635 yards, and five touchdowns. His 16.3 yards per catch ranked second in the nation among tight ends last season, showing you just how big of a receiving threat he is.

Wright has been recovering from a shoulder injury he suffered during the 2025 season, which kept him from testing at Ole Miss’ pro day and definitely didn’t help his draft stock, but if you turn on the tape, you can see he’s an elite pass catcher at the tight end position. He could use some work as a blocker, but there’s always room to improve in the league.

Harold Fannin is the Browns’ clear TE1, but with David Njoku leaving, they need a second option at tight end, and Wright could be that.

Round 7, Pick 248: RB Jamarion Miller

Jam Miller’s time at Alabama was pretty disappointing production-wise, but I still think he could be a solid rotational running back in the NFL. He never rushed for over 700 yards in a single season, but he has 4.42 speed, and at 5-foot-10, he’s pretty shifty, but also pretty powerful at 209 pounds.

Nobody is overtaking Quinshon Judkins’ spot as RB1 this season, but last year proved he needs a second back to take some of the work off his shoulders. Miller will probably never be an RB1 in the league, but he can come in and carry the ball 5-7 times per game to take some of the load off Judkins.