Mocking the Browns - All 13 picks

I really wanted to get through all the positions and look at some more Browns draft possibilities but I ran out of time.  Which also means that the draft, the greatest annual sports event in Cleveland, is nearly upon us.  That said, I'm going to put together what I would do with the 13 picks the Browns have.  This is by no means what I think they're going to do.  I'm not sure anyone is crazy enough to think they can predict what the Cleveland Browns are going to do in a draft.  These are the guys I would take if I were the Browns brain trust.



4 - Trent Richardson, RB - Alabama  I've been on this train for a little while and have really fallen in love with the idea that the Browns can get a player of this caliber.  I think he's a stud, he can do it all, and I think he's a player that can make the Browns immediately better than they are today.  He should help McCoy with his ability to catch passes and pass protect, not to mention he'll open up the play action passing attack.  I'd love to see this guy in brown and orange and think it will be a huge mistake to pass on him.




22 - Kendall Wright, WR - Baylor  I've been on this one as well for a while.  Wright is not without risk, he's not huge and didn't run a blazing 40.  He played in a spread attack with a great quarterback.  He's not that strong.  I get all that.  I know what he's not.  I also know what he is.  He's an electric playmaker who plays faster than he timed.  He's outstanding with the ball in his hands.  He has the ability to take a 4 yard pass to the house.  He's a tremendous complement to the bigger Greg Little, can play inside or outside the numbers, and would provide a threat to blow the top off a defense.  Adding T-Rich and Wright on Thursday night would be cause for celebration, for both fans and Colt McCoy.

37 - Janoris Jenkins, CB - North Alabama  From everything you hear, this guy has been dropping down draft boards.  He's another guy who comes with his share of risks.  However he has undeniable talent, could be the 2nd best corner in the draft, and would be a tremendous value at this point in the draft.  He would need to be brought in and surrounded by people who can offer him the proper support.  A positive for the Browns would be that he could learn from former Florida teammate Joe Haden, who has been a consummate professional and fixture in the community.  Boom or bust but at this pick I'd take my chances.  IF he's gone, my backup plan would be Josh Robinson, CB, Central Florida.

67 - Mitchell Schwartz, OT - Cal  Could come in and start from day 1 at right tackle.  Started 51 games at Cal and showed well at the Senior Bowl.  Has prototypical size (6'5 318) and long arms.  Think a Ryan Tucker type.  He has a high floor and NFL bloodlines, his brother Geoff plays for the Panthers  The talent drops off considerably at OT after the 3rd round and this position will be addressed on the first two days of the draft in my opinion.  IF he's gone, I'd take Donald Stephenson, OT, Oklahoma.

100 - Nigel Bradham, OLB - Florida State  Another guy who should be able to play early in his career.  Dude is built like the proverbial brick shit house.  Can play either Will or Sam and offers good coverage skills.  Not a tremendous blitzer but a high character, hard working football player who will make it on special teams and should be able to grow into a starting role. 











118 - Trevor Guyton, DT - Cal  I've already gushed over this guy as well, love what he brings to the table in terms of tenacity and versatility.  Another player with a high floor, you know what you'll get out of this guy.  Would provide depth behind Rubin and Taylor and would be an outstanding rotational tackle.









139 - Jarius Wright, WR - Arkansas  I'm obsessed with the idea of adding speed and athleticism to our offense, and I also think that Jarius Wright is going to be a very good professional football player.  If he were bigger (5'9 182) or if this receiver group wasn't so deep, he'd be off the board by this point.  I understand that taking 2 sub six foot wrs is not conventional thinking, but I think the possibility of adding playmakers is of vital importance.  Probably only an inside receiver, he also offers the ability to take a short pass 60 yards and would diversify our offense even more.  Love this guy.

160 - BJ Coleman, QB - Tennessee Chattanooga  I think they'll take a developmental quarterback late and in the 5th they go with Coleman.  Very raw, will require some time but by all accounts is coachable and has some tools to work with.  Started his college career at Tennessee but transferred out.  Could also see them take a Russell Wilson or Darron Thomas, but I'll go with Coleman here.








204 - Lamar Holmes, OT - Southern Miss  Huge man who showed well at the Shrine Game.  The problem may be he's only a RT, but I'd bring him in and give him a shot.  He's got size that can't be taught (6'5 323).

205 - Neiko Thorpe, S - Auburn  Started at free safety and corner in his career, played in a big-time conference but wasn't invited to the combine despite having a fairly impressive college career.  Has good size and speed and could make the Browns with his versatility if he's willing to put in work on special teams.










211 - Tashuan Gipson, CB - Wyoming  Might was well throw darts at a list of names at this point.  Gipson has good size, was honorable mention All-MWC at safety.  He's the pick here because of his versatility.










245 - Scott Solomon, DE - Rice  Hustle, try hard defensive end who was productive at Rice and has the type of intangibles that will make it hard for a coach to cut him.










247 - Adonis Thomas, RB - Toledo  Good running back who doesn't stand out at any one thing but could battle for a roster spot.













That's my shot.  We'll have a good idea less than 24 hours from now on how the front office wants to build this team.  Like I said before, prepare for the worst and hope for the best Browns fans.

Browns Draft Scenarios

Let's take a look just for fun at some of the scenarios for the Browns with their first 4 picks.  I don't know enough to say that any of these three are possible, but just for fun let's go at it.

My ideal scenario

4 - Trent Richardson RB

22 or trade up - Kendall Wright WR

37 or trade up - Bobby Massie RT

67 - Bruce Irvin DE

This gives the Browns a gamebreaker at RB and WR, taking some pressure off of Colt McCoy.  With Massie the Browns get the best RT in the draft and an instant starter, although he'll have to live up to the expectations of the turnstyles thrown out there for the last few seasons.  Bruce Irvin is a one trick pony right now but his get off and ability to get to the quarterback are extremely impressive.  Even if he's only a 3rd down pass rusher he'd give the Browns a dynamic threat off the edge.  The Browns could load up on defense with their remaining picks, although they'd probably add another WR somewhere.

Alternate scenario 1 - Claiborne at 4

4 - Morris Claiborne CB
22 - Mike Adams or Jonathan Martin, T
37 - Reuban Randle or Stephen Hill, WR
67 - Isaiah Pead RB

I believe Claiborne at 4 is a very real possiblity.  He's got size, speed, and ball skills and would pair with Haden to give the Browns 2 solid cornerbacks.  They could shore up the offensive line with Adams or Martin, both of whom should start at RT from day 1.  Both have ability but may have rough rookie seasons until they get stronger.  Randle or Hill both fit the west coast offense and are big and fast, but again they may need more time to develop.  Pead is a very good running back, he's shifty and can catch the ball.  He's not going to be a 20-25 carry a game guy but could develop into a starter.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Steelers nabbed him in the 2nd.

Alternate scenario 2 - QB in the 2nd

4 or trade back to 6 - Justin Blackmon WR
22 - Stephon Gilmore CB
37 - Brandon Weeden or Kirk Cousins QB
67 - Mitchell Schwartz RT

In this scenario the Browns would likely trade back with the Rams, Rams taking Claiborne or Richardson and the Bucs taking whomever the Rams don't.  Blackmon would likely be left and would be a Brown, giving McCoy a legitimate weapon.  Gilmore is a great fit for the Browns D if he's there at 22, he has size and speed, and he can play the press man that the Browns like to play.  In the 2nd they take a QB, either Weeden or Cousins.  Either guy would give McCoy competition for the starting job.  Schwartz should be able to come in and start, and with the move back they'd likely pick up an additional 3rd that they can use on Pead or another RB.

Alternate scenario 3 - Defensive focused

4 - Morris Claiborne CB
22 - Nick Perry DE
37 - Lavonte David or Zach Brown OLB
67 - Juron Criner WR

In this look they load up on D, taking the top CB in Claiborne and a possible future stud at DE in Nick Perry, who would be brought along slowly behind Rucker but drips with upside.  In the 2nd they take their WLB for the future.  Both David and Brown are run and chase guys but have speed to burn and would bring some athleticism to the defense.  Criner could be a 3rd round guy who develops into a starter, he's got size and fits the offense.  Not a burner though and will need to learn the finer points of the position in order to create separation.

Alternative scenario 4 - the fallers

4 - Trent Richardson RB
22 - Courtney Upshaw DE
37 - Janoris Jenkins CB
67 - Schwartz or Criner

In this scenario the Browns take Richardson at 4.  They snag Upshaw at 22, he's supposedly been falling as teams aren't sure where he'll fit in the pros.  He'd be a good pick at 22 and he and Sheard could develop into a really good bookend tandem.  Janoris Jenkins comes with a lot of risk, he has 4 kids (he's only 23) and really likes smoking weed.  He recently changed agents which raised some red-flags.  Apparently he's been moving down draft boards, but his talent is undeniable.  Talent-wise he's the second best corner in the draft and worth the risk at 37.  They take either the best RT or WR in the 3rd and round and fill out the team with their remaining picks.

Alternative scenario 5 - end of the world

4 - Ryan Tannehill QB
22 - Adams or Martin T
37 - Doug Martin RB
67 - Chase Minnifield CB or Criner WR

This is the one.  The one (most) Browns fans are the most afraid of.  Ryan Tannehill, project QB, at 4.  Even if they moved back to 7 it would still be too high.  To pass on Claiborne, Blackmon and Richardson for Tannehill would be a mistake of epic proportions in my mind.  They take the tackle at 22.  They save some face if they take Martin in the 2nd, though they may have to move up.  He's the second best back in the draft.  Minnifield on name alone would be a great player to add to the Browns, and although he's not had a great pre-draft process he showed he could play in his junior year and could be a good pick in the 3rd.  A lot of people say he's only a cover 2 corner though and doesn't have the speed or strength to play press man, so this may be a pipe dream.


What's it all mean?  Nothing at all, it's purely speculation.  The Browns are going to draft whomever they think will be the best players.  The obvious need for playmakers is really obvious though, and hopefully they'll come out of this draft with a few.  They also must find a right tackle.  So there's work to do and we'll have 13 more days to speculate until it all goes down. But prepare for the worst and hope for the best Browns fans, and maybe, just maybe, we'll finally get what we've been waiting for.

Browns WR Draft Options - My Take

This is about the last thing I'm going to write about wide receivers in this draft (I think).  The great thing about projecting players from college to the pros is that two people can watch the same games and come out with opposite opinions on the same player.  I've said what I think about Floyd and Blackmon and understand I'm in the minority, and that others (some far more qualified than me) have different opinions.  It will be fun to see how it all plays out.  Wide receiver is the most difficult position besides quarterback to project, and the bust factor is higher with wideouts than at other positions. 

That said I can't picture a scenario where the Browns don't spend one of their first three picks on a wideout, and I can see them possibly coming out of this draft with 2.  It's regarded as the strongest position in this draft and good players will be found throughout.  The Browns current depth chart looks like this.

Greg Little - 61 catches, 709 yards, 2 TDs.  Came in as a rookie after having not playing his senior season and looks like he can be a very good player.  Has size and speed and should develop in his 2nd year.  His size and strength should allow him to grow into a red-zone target.  A keeper.

Mohammed Massaquoi - 31 catches, 384 yards, 2 TDs.  A frustrating player, he looks the part but has been knocked around and missed games.  He can win jump balls but I watch him and it doesn't look like he has great awareness, there were more than a few times he made catches on the sidelines but couldn't get his feet down.  A candidate to be replaced.

Josh Cribbs - 41 catches, 518 yards, 4 TDs.  He had his best year as a receiver last year.  He's a player that defenses respect in that he can make a big play, he should be used more creatively.

Jordan Norwood - 23 catches, 268 yards, 1 TD.  He's a little guy who can move the chains and return punts, but he is REALLY small.  He's not overly explosive.  Missed a couple games at the end of the season.

Carlton Mitchell - 3 catches, 31 yards.  Looks the part but hasn't put it together enough to warrant more playing time, which is not a great sign given the players ahead of him.


Cribbs led that group with a 12.6 avg per catch.  As a team the Browns averaged 10.3 yards per catch, which puts them dead last in the NFL.  Whether it's a function of the system, the quarterback, or the receivers is up for debate.  How to fix it shouldn't be.  If you have a quarterback who doesn't put the ball downfield, you have to have receivers who can give you yards after the catch.  The west coast offense is predicated on this, and if that's the offense and McCoy is the quarterback, Heckert has to get some guys who can break a game open.

This is why I would target Kendall Wright from Baylor with the 22nd pick.  I would consider moving ahead of Chicago to get him provided he gets that far.  He's 5'11 and 196 lbs, so he's not a big guy, but should be able to add some bulk.  His combine time in the 40 was 4.61, which caused some raised eyebrows.  Peter King mentioned in his MMQB article:

7. I think the 4.6-ish 40-yard dash times of Baylor wideout Kendall Wright from the Scouting Combine, which threatened his status as a top-five wide receiver in the draft, are starting to be put in some perspective. Scouts were surprised at the time because Wright played faster on film -- and teams are seeing that now upon further review. I've seen his times on the official combine sheet, and they're as low as 4.49 and 4.51 seconds, with an average of 4.54 seconds. Not blazing, but not tight end-like, either. From what I'm told, Wright is a legitimate high 4.4-second guy, and it shouldn't crush him on draft weekend. Wright's time is a classic example of overrating what you hear about red flags at the Combine.

He did run a 4.41 at his pro day and plays to that speed.  He averaged 15.4 yards per catch his senior year.  He wasn't pressed at the line and like most rookie receivers he'll have to learn how to beat the jam, and his stats may be somewhat padded because of the offense and quarterback he played with, however he has the talent and gamebreaking ability that the Browns sorely lack.  He flashed when I watched Baylor play and scored at least 1 touchdown in 10 of Baylor's 13 games.  He should be able to play inside or outside in the Browns offense and would give McCoy a weapon who can take a crossing route to the house or run under a deep ball.  This should take pressure off of McCoy and hopefully Trent Richardson.

The other guy I would love to see in a Browns uniform is Jarius Wright from Arkansas.  He should be able to be had in the 4th round, and if I'm the Browns I'd take him even if I had taken Kendall Wright earlier.  Conventional wisdom says you might not want to draft two sub-six foot wideouts in the same draft, but I think these types of players are what the Browns offense lacks.  Little has size, Cribbs is 6'1, and Mo Mass is 6'2 so it's not as if we wouldn't have bigger receivers also. 

Jarius Wright has reportedly been clocked at 4.27 in the 40 by the Arkansas coaches, he ran a 4.42 at the combine, with a 1.45 sec 10 yard split.  This shows he's an explosive player (Mike Wallace had a 1.43) and can get up the field quickly.  Also registered a 4.03 twenty yard shuttle and had a 38" vertical.  He's only 5'9 and a half, 182 lbs, so he's likely only an inside slot type guy.  However he's proven he can stay healthy and produce in the SEC.  He had 1166 yards and 12 TDs his senior year, and averaged 16.9 yards per catch after 18.8 in his junior year.  He will always be limited by his size however he offers the explosive capability that the Browns need.

It's impossible to predict what the Browns are going to do.  I'm a big fan of both Kendall Wright and Jarius Wright and think they offer playmaking ability, something the Browns certainly need.  The excuses made for the play of McCoy last season always center around his lack of weapons. This scenario, including taking Richardson at 4, certainly would give McCoy some weapons and give the front office and coaches a chance to evaluate whether he's the guy or not.

Some of the other wide receiver options include:

Stephen Hill - he's big fast and intriguing but may take more time to develop.  I'd be fine with him if Wright was gone.

Reuben Randle - big and fast but not overly physical.  I'd rather have Hill.

Alshon Jeffery - when I watched him play against Alabama his sophmore year I thought he was going to be a superstar.  Gained weight (got fat) and wasn't that guy last season.  Can make unbelievable catches but isn't overly quick or sudden and may not be able to separate.  Boom or bust guy but I don't think he fits into our offense and would be more than surprised if he ended up a Brown.  Could be Dwayne Bowe, could be Mike Williams.  It's up to him.

Juron Criner - I'm a fan, thought was going to be really really good when he was a junior but people have cooled on him a bit.  I still think he can be a really good player but is really going to have to work at it.  Fits the Browns offense.  Interesting take by Pat Kirwin on him in this scouting report.

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/players/1620389/juron-criner

T.Y. Hilton - A lot like Jarius Wright, offers more in the return game but has also been injured more.

Devier Posey - I'm an Ohio State guy but I think he can be a great value pick in the 4th or 5th, is going to require some coaching but has athletic gifts.  Registered a 1.45 ten yard split at the combine.  I think he could be a better value in the 4th than Randle in the 1st-2nd for what's it worth.

Jeff Fuller - Looks like Tarzan plays like Jane

Ryan Broyles - If not for a torn ACL late in the year he'd be a 2nd rounder, could be a good value in the 3rd or 4th.  Great slot guy.

Jordan White - Late round guy, impossible to ignore his production.  Broke all of Greg Jennings records at W Michigan.  Has had knee problems but I like this guy and think he can play in the league.

Eric Page - another MAC guy who is limited by his size but has produced.  More slippery than fast and offers value as a returner, late round guy.


Obviously there are others but these are the guys who intrigue me.  Playmakers must be found in this draft at wideout.  There are too many good ones not to.  The Browns aren't going to a Super Bowl this year but McCoy has to be evaluated.  The best way to open up the field for him is to add speed and ability at wideout, players that can make something happens when the ball is in their hands, and to me Kendall Wright and Jarius Wright are two players that can give you that.