DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk NFL Draft 2026 #39 - who do you want?

There are a lot of players I would count as a major success at 39:

Denzel Boston is a prototypical outside WR who would compliment Concepcion well allowing KC to move around.
Germie Bernard is a very solid WR and has had comps to Jarvis Landry.

McNeil Warren is uber attractive if he somehow fell another 7 spots.

Avieon Terrel and Ponds (McCoy too but he probably goes very early in rnd 2) - potential replacements for Ward.

Having watched one of the Vids Jester posted - Jacob Rodriguez excites me.

That's 7 different options. . . . which means we probably don't get any of them!

My top 3 - McNeil-Warren. Rodriguez. Boston.

If Boston is there and we don't pick him I will be extremely pissed.

My top choices would be WR Boston, S McNeil-Warren, or CB Hood.

I say safety or corner.

Agreed. If Bitonio doesn't return, we have a need for an OG...Bisontis fits the bill. WR Boston would be a welcome addition as would a CB. We should get a good player...

I think we go
Denzel Boston, WR
Eli Stowers, TE
CJ Allen, LB

We might draft Jake Golday LB Cincinnati at #39.

I would feel a lot better about this draft offensively if they take Boston.... which means that WON'T be the pick.

Honestly though, I've been looking forward to the second round. This is where the real value of the draft is I think. No super stars, just a lot of really solid players that can complement this team well.

Love Bisontis
Love Rodriguez
Love McNeil-Warren
Love Hill
Love McCoy or Hood
Love Pregnon

So, that's seven players, don't start liking them.. They will not be Cleveland Browns

My guess is Nussmeier, because A) I don't want a QB before the 5th round and B) Allar, Payton or Green are the only QBs I'm remotely interested in..

If available, i think they take either mcneil warren the safety from toledo or r mason thomas the edge from Oklahoma. I like both of them

If you look at the players who visited CLE pre-draft (30 visits) - the 2 you mention both came to town. I say one of them will our 2nd round pick.

I like both of them as well. Could also see AB taking the highest rated CB on the board as well.

Looking forward to Day 2 with 3 picks now.

Dark Horse: Kayden McDonald, DT

1. Boston WR Washington
2. Bisontis OG Texas A&M
3. McDonald DL OSU
4. McNeil-Warren S Toledo
5. Young DE Missouri

So many good options. If Jerod McCoy or McDonald from OSU are there, you have to grab one. Otherwise, CB, S, and LB. I think we can wait on TE and another WR.

1a) WR -Boston
1b) OG - Bisontis
1c) CB - Hood

I am easily swayed here. After round 1, where we addressed the two most pressing needs, we can do sort of BPA, sort of need. It will be difficult to blow this pick.

Agreed, BUT I think TE & DT are among the two biggest needs after getting that line taken care of.

We need a solid 2nd TE. I don't know if Stoll is really the guy, especially since he is on a 1-year deal; likely an insurance contract if we couldn't do better in the Draft
Getting another penetrating run stopper at DT would further improve our run defense and help Carson even more at LB.

CB... Ward ain't getting any younger (or any fewer concussions), so I think it could probably be VERY high on the needs list as well. Perhaps highest?

Browns need a starter here. Outside receiver like Boston if he fell to 39 would be amazing. I really like Germie Bernard as a receiver. He knows how to get open and has RAC ability with his strong running style for a WR. Ponds the CB could be a nickle and has ability to play outside. He was a special player for Indiana in the playoffs. The McNeil Warran S from Toledo at 6'3 could cause havoc on the back end of this defense.

1) Boston
2) Bernard
3)Ponds
4)McNiel Warran

Hoping they come away with 1 of those 4 but there are other great options. 39 is a great spot in this draft. I also am excited about the 2 3rd rounders. While this draft did not have the greatest top end talent it does have depth and the 2nd and 3rd round players are not much of a drop off from the picks made last night in the 20's.

1. Mason Thomas
2. McNeil-Warren
3. Ponds
4. McCoy
5. Boston/Bernard

I am 100% on board with Boston. I would have been tempted to pick him over Concepcion, but I understand the bet on extreme upside. I hope he slides all the way down to 39.

I've been begging for a big-bodied WR since Josh Gordon got high. Begging.

1a) WR -Boston
1b) DT - McDonald
1c) S - McNeal -Warren

I keep changing my mind and agreeing with everyone, lol. We can definitely get a starter here (although is Boston technically a starter if Jeudy and Concepcion are?). DL is not our biggest need, but I could not pass up McDonald. And the best TE here would be the Vanderbilt kid, I think. We might be able to get him or Klare in the third.

Ponds or McCoy would be real nice

1. Highest Rated CB
2. Chase Bisontis - Can play Guard or Center

I read a bunch of mixed things about Boston in the last week. Like, there's a fair number of talking heads and columnists that have pretty deep reservations about him for some reason. I know nothing about him myself, just read up on all the people that were getting projected as our picks and Boston seemed to be getting dinged a lot. Might explain some of why he fell out of the 1st rnd.

And let's be clear, we still need more quality OL, especially interior. Remember that good OL makes our QB's better than just about any single WR that's available to us at this point. We still need a LB, S, CB, maybe another TE and DE and we've gone a long way with the OL but assuming Bitonio is out and Whipler hasn't gotten dramatically better, we still have needs for both starters and depth. I'm still a little PTSD from last year admittedly.

Boston is not a separator - that is, he is not great at separating from defenders. Boston is a big-bodied 6'4 215-220lbs WR that used his frame to win 50/50 contested catches. He's not a speed guy. Built for the red zone and first down plays. He's a possession receiver with a plus body type, size, and catch radius.

* His production may be hindered in the NFL due to the higher quality, speed, and size of the defenders.

Isn't that basically Tillman who's 6'3 - 215-220. The "can't get separation" thing is definitely Tillman.

Oline I dont care who

The whole reason is speed and separation, from everything I've heard. Maybe you've heard different? Plus, you are guaranteed a tad-bit of blacklist treatment when you skip drills in the combine - he refused to run a 40. It's estimated his 40 is somewhere around 4.6.

I won't pretend there aren't other concerns... he'll run a sloppy route now and then, he also basically sucked against Ohio State and Oregon.

His coaches call him a "dawg" with great competitiveness, a quiet leadership style and a great work ethic. He has elite hands and busts his butt to come down with every catch.

He's getting the Anquan Boldin treatment. We know how that worked out. Boldin was 4.72 and rated in the bottom 2% for WRs.

Boldin was, apart from maybe Hines Ward, my most hated receiver in the common era. Mostly he was just so uniquely dangerous against us. If he's Boldin, well then Hell Yes. Even if he's Jurevicius it's a hell yes. But if it's another Tillman, yea, not thanks. I guess that's the gamble.

Apart from the fact he was a Raven, loved me some Boldin. All he did was find a way to catch the ball.

Not bad so far I just hope that one of these are available at #39; Dunker, OL (IA), Boston, WR, Wash or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, S, Toledo

Yep Dunker,
SCOUTING REPORT: SUMMARY
Dunker's combination of raw power, grip strength, and sheer nastiness makes him a legitimate tone-setter up front. The issue is that phone booth needs to be pretty small. His movement limitations and modest length create real concerns about whether he can hold up against NFL-caliber speed rushers on the edge. The tackle tape is fun, but the guard projection makes the most sense for his skill set at the next level.

Inside at guard, Dunker's game translates beautifully. He's built for gap and duo schemes where he can fire off the ball and put his hands on people in tight quarters. His ability to generate initial movement on double teams and then climb to the second level with force is exactly what offensive coordinators want from their interior linemen. Run-heavy offenses that lean on play-action concepts coming off the ground game will love what he brings to the table. He doesn't need to cover much grass to be effective, which plays directly into his strengths.

The floor here is high. Dunker has the makeup to crack a starting lineup during his rookie contract if placed in the right scheme. Teams that want to establish the run and protect their quarterback through controlling the line of scrimmage rather than winning one-on-one pass protection battles will find real value. He's not going to be the guy sliding out to handle elite edge talent in obvious passing situations, but between the tackles, there are few prospects in this class who play with more controlled violence. The ceiling is a decade-long starter at guard for a physical, run-first offense.

And keep in mind. I'm not saying Boston IS the next Boldin. I'm saying he's suffering from the same write-off: "just too slow to create separation at the NFL level".

I wouldn't mind grabbing a guy that fits at guard, but can fill in at tackle in a pinch.

Also wouldn't mind grabbing a guy that can be that CF FS.

Concepcion also skipped drills at the combine... I don't know that the combine is going to trump anything seen on tape. If it did Tate probably would have been available at #6.


At 39, they have set themselves up to take their highest rated player. This team isn't deep, so pretty much any position can be justified. I will be shocked if they don't take a Center in the 3rd round, so unless they take a true center at 39, I don't know if they are going to target inside line here.

I think we are most likely looking at LB, CB and WR at #39.... which means they are probably going to take another offensive lineman, not center. I am not on my game this year at all...

Really liking D'Angelo Ponds - i know he is smallish, but he plays big. Fast, explosive, and good ball skills. Perfect slot corner who can also play outside.

And he can "jump out the gym". At 43.5", his is the fourth-best vertical jump by a cornerback in NFL Combine history.

I really like Emmanuel Pregnon the G out of Oregon. Something tells me he won't be there at #39 but would love it if he is. I understand that the Browns signed G's in on the FA market but I only see one of them, Zion Johnson as a reliable starter type G.

Emmanuel Pregnon has a pretty good overall skill set at the G position and I think will make for great starter material at the next level. This would be a good place in the draft to get a quality G and I think he fits the bill. Which for some reason why I feel it will never happen.

I also like Boston at WR for the same reason FATE stated. We need a big body, physical WR and I'm amazed he isn't gone already. It's the type of skill set that needs to be filled at the WR position which the Browns are lacking. He had just under 900 receiving yards in 2025 but scored 11 td's. with an average yards per catch being 14.2. In 2024 he had a total of 834 receiving yards with 9 td's with an average of 13.2 per catch. Playing in the Big 10 he faced some of the best competition in the college ranks.

I want them to trade up and grab Boston. It's worth it to move up and grab him. Our WR corps would be transformed.

+1