When the Cleveland Browns take the field Saturday against the Chicago Bears in their first preseason game of the 2026 NFL season, one of the more compelling position groups to watch will be the revamped wide receiver room. Cleveland invested heavily in the position during the 2026 NFL Draft, and those additions could spell trouble for a familiar name on the roster.

Browns’ wideout draft picks reshape the depth chart

The Browns selected former Texas A&M wide receiver KC Concepcion with a first-round pick and doubled up at the position with former Washington standout Denzel Boston in the second round. With those two rookies joining the fold, Cleveland could be looking at pushing some familiar players off the back end of the roster at wide receiver. Both players have had strong training camps to this point, and have been what the Browns had hoped for so far. 

Former third-round pick Cedric Tillman, whom the Browns selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, is one of the names most at risk. Cleveland could potentially move on from Tillman via trade or an outright cut when roster cutdowns happen from 90 to 53 players at the end of the preseason.

Tillman has given the Browns flashes of being a capable wideout in the NFL, but his inability to stay fully healthy and inconsistent play have hindered his ability to take a step forward. His best season came in 2024 when he had 339 receiving yards in 11 games. Concussions played a role in him missing six games that season. Last year, Tillman had 21 catches for 270 yards in 13 games.

Tillman fighting for one of the last roster spots

The Browns drafted Boston to be their X receiver, and right now, Tillman is the backup X. He’s fighting for one of the last spots on the wide receiver depth chart at this point.

I believe you can pencil in Concepcion, Boston, Jerry Jeudy, and Isaiah Bond on the Browns’ depth chart. Cleveland is also likely to keep former Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Tylan Wallace around because of his experience with the team’s head coach and his ability to contribute on special teams. That final spot on the depth chart could come down to players like Gage Larvadain and Malachi Corley battling Tillman for a roster spot.

It’ll be worth watching whether the Browns keep Tillman around because he can provide some value as a fourth or fifth wide receiver off the bench, or if they find a draft pick more valuable than keeping him on the roster in what is the final year of his contract. Cleveland isn’t exactly in a position to contend this season, so moving Tillman for future assets could make more sense than holding onto a player who hasn’t been able to carve out a consistent role.

Either way, Tillman is a player who will probably see plenty of action this preseason. Saturday’s game against Chicago will be the first chance to see how the competition at the bottom of the depth chart shakes out.