The NFL has moved into the second week of postseason play. Eight teams are remaining. For the other 24 teams, NFL Draft season has begun. The Cleveland Browns are no exception, having suffered another disappointing season that led to the firing of their head coach. While the Browns search for a coach, they were projected to add a playmaker around their incumbent quarterback, Shedeur Sanders.
Cleveland Browns Projected To Give Shedeur Sanders an Elite Option
The Browns had an excellent defense led by Jim Schwartz in 2025. Myles Garrett set the single-season sack record, and he was not a one-man band.
Offenisvely? That was a different story. Joe Flacco, Dillon Gabriel, and Shedeur Sanders all started during the season. The Browns wanted to ride their powerful run game, led by rookie Quinshon Judkins, to help their young quarterbacks.
When the ball was put in the air, however, Cleveland’s quarterbacks often struggled to find reliable targets.
Rookie tight end Harold Fannin Jr was the Browns’ leading receiver with 731 yards on the year. Jerry Jeudy was a disappointing acquisition, failing to become a consistent target.
In a first-round mock draft using the PFN simulator, the Browns solve their problem at receiver, giving Shedeur Sanders a bona fide weapon.
With the sixth pick, the Browns selected Ohio State wide receiver Carnell Tate. Tate was somewhat overshadowed over the last two seasons, playing in the same loaded Buckeyes offense, highlighted by underclassman sensation Jeremiah Smith.
Tate, however, was no second fiddle, as he likely would have been the top receiver on most other teams in the country. Weil’s analysis was as follows.
“Carnell Tate has been a mover up draft boards as the next stud wideout to come from Ohio State. He had 51 catches for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. He established himself as a deep threat this year against elite competition and raised his yards per catch by 3.1 year-over-year.”
“He is 6-foot-3 and 195 pounds and has the potential to be a matchup nightmare and a legitimate number one option for Shadeur Sanders, or whoever Cleveland decides to play at under center.”
If the Browns wanted to build around the quarterbacks they currently have, they could do worse than Tate.
Tate was productive for two different quarterbacks under Ryan Day at Ohio State, showcasing an ability to make contested catches and plays down the field. He did miss some time this year with an injury, but returned with a vengeance, including a touchdown against Michigan that helped end a four-game losing streak against Ohio State’s biggest rival.
Tate would immediately step into Cleveland with an opportunity to be the top target in Cleveland’s offense. He’d also be a potential building block around Fannin Jr., David Njoku, and rookie receiver Isaiah Bond. That could be an enticing group for whoever the next coach is in Cleveland.
