The Cleveland Browns may have hoped Jerry Jeudy would lock down their WR1 role, but his inconsistency has started to raise quiet concerns heading into the 2026 offseason. In a conference stacked with elite passing offenses, relying on potential alone could prove costly.
Browns One Proven Playmaker Away From Fixing Its Passing Game
That’s why the Browns are now being urged to pursue a blockbuster trade for an established All-Pro wide receiver who can immediately transform the passing attack and provide the offensive stability Cleveland still lacks.
According to the latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft by Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine, the Browns would trade for wide receiver Chris Godwin from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for the 2026 fourth-round pick (No. 107).
Chris Godwin finished the 2025 NFL regular season with 33 receptions for 360 receiving yards and two touchdowns, despite his injury. The Bucs’ star wideout averaged 10.9 yards per catch, which marked a dip in production compared to his usual high-volume role in Tampa Bay’s offense.
On the other hand, the Browns’ Jeudy’s production also dropped. If you actually look at the 2025 NFL season data, Jeudy’s production drop wasn’t random. It was backed by efficiency problems that directly explain why his week-to-week output kept collapsing.
Jeudy finished the 2025 season with just 50 receptions for 602 yards and 2 touchdowns while averaging 12.0 yards per catch, placing him outside the top tier of starting wide receivers across the league. That kind of low touchdown output for a supposed primary receiving option already signals reduced offensive impact. But the bigger issue shows up when you dig into advanced metrics.
During the 2025 campaign, Jeudy recorded 10 dropped passes, one of the highest totals among qualified receivers, and Cleveland quarterbacks posted a passer rating in the mid-40s when targeting him. That combination of drops and inefficient targeting meant the Browns’ passing game became statistically less productive when the ball went his way.
At that point, Cleveland had to reconsider its hierarchy at wide receiver. Jeudy’s tenure as the clear No. 1 option realistically came into question after those efficiency struggles.
General manager Andrew Berry has previously taken calculated risks by trading for distressed wide receiver assets, such as Amari Cooper and Jeudy. Moving forward, pursuing another reclamation-type receiver would essentially repeat that same strategy, only this time with hopes of getting a more reliable return.
So if the Browns want to strengthen their passing attack after 2025’s inefficiency, adding a reliable receiving option is essential. Chris Godwin’s consistency and ability to work underneath coverage would give Cleveland a dependable target and help stabilize an offense that struggled to produce consistently throughout the season.
