The Cleveland Browns were desperate for an elite, No. 1 receiver when they traded for Odell Beckham Jr. And even after he arrived, they were still in desperate need of a WR1. Now that he’s gone … they still need that no. 1 guy.
Beckham never panned out in Cleveland’s offense. Donovan Peoples-Jones could emerge as a top wideout, but it’s probably a longshot, even after a promising rookie season. So that’s why Draft Wire’s Luke Easterling has the Browns adding Alabama receiver Jameson Williams in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. The mock draft imagines Williams joining Peoples-Jones and the rest of the offense to inject some life and playmaking ability.
“Cleveland’s quarterback situation will obviously be the team’s biggest offseason storyline, but whoever ends up throwing passes for them next year, that guy will need a big-play pass-catcher like Williams. He quickly established himself as one of the most explosive threats in the nation this season, and should be the first receiver off the board.”
In this mock draft, the Browns land Williams at 13th overall, a really good value for the class’s top receiver. Williams had a quiet set of seasons in 2019 and 2020 when he was buried under a depth chart that included a swath of first-round picks at the receiver position. In 2021, Williams got his shot to shine — and he did exactly that, with 75 catches, 1,507 yards and 15 touchdowns.
He still has one more game to play: the college football national championship.
