Team needs: Defensive Tackle, Wide Receiver, and Quarterback

Browns’ selections

Round 1 – 12^th overall

Round 1 – 19^th overall

Round 2 – 43^rd overall

Round 3 – 77^th overall

Round 4 – 111^th overall

Round 4 – 115^th overall

Round 5 – 147^th overall

Round 6 – 188^th overall

Round 7 – 201^st overall

Good fits early:

Danny Shelton: The Browns finished 32^nd against the run in 2014. Over the course of free agency they lost starting interior defensive lineman Ahtyba Rubin to the Seattle Seahawks. They replaced Rubin with 11-year veteran Randy Starks (31 years old) as a quick fix before Cleveland in all likelihood spend one of their two picks in the top twenty overall on an up-front interior target. Incumbent nose tackle Phil Taylor has missed 20 of the possible 64 games the team has played in since being drafted in the first-round (2011) out of Baylor. Taylor’s inability to stay healthy combined with any other true impact players along the line create the need for Cleveland to draft a player in the mold of Shelton. His senior season at Washington he dominated the Pac-12 with 89 tackles, 16.5 tackles-for-loss, and 9.5 sacks. At the 2015 Senior Bowl, Shelton flashed the necessary skills (power and quickness) against some of the top prospects in the nation.

DeVante Parker: Last year Cleveland bypassed the opportunity to draft one of the immensely talented 2014 rookie receivers. With the team’s knowledge of an impending suspension for troubled Browns receiver Josh Gordon, the team still neglected to draft a wideout. It only enhanced the concerns fans have over the current regime in Cleveland. The team brought it Dwayne Bowe via free agency and has a decent supporting cast around him but no heir apparent to claim the role as the team’s true No. 1 target. If the NFL Draft plays out accordingly, both Alabama’s Amari Cooper and West Virginia’s Kevin White should be off the board when the Browns first pick arrives at 12^th overall. Parker played in only six games last season, but still managed to lead the Cardinals with 855 receiving yards and tied for the team lead with five touchdown receptions. His 43 catches ranked second.

Marcus Mariota: The quarterback position is unsettled in Cleveland after 2014 first-round pick Johnny Manziel failed mightily to grasp the game and lifestyle of a professional and not collegiate quarterback. The shenanigans pulled by the Browns upper management to pull Brian Hoyer last year only cemented the idea he would never return when free agency opened this past March. Hoyer signed with the Houston Texans and opened to door for Cleveland to sign journeyman Josh McCown earlier this year. McCown is a band-aid solution to a gaping wound on the Browns offense. Manziel just left rehab as a last ditch effort to save himself and his NFL career. That leaves the organization once again at the crossroads on what to do regarding the games most important position. Some Browns scouts have been loose lipped about the team’s affinity towards the 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota. Cleveland has the fire power (two first-round picks) to move up and grab Mariota if he truly is the guy Cleveland wants to build their future around. The Browns could also recoup picks by trading Manziel or add him into a deal to move up to get Mariota. Owner Jimmy Haslam has a little bit of that maverick mentality and wants to swing for the fences for an impact player on offense to galvanize the fan base. His first swing was a big miss on Manziel last year and he is now digging into the batter’s box to take another swing in 2015.

Potential late-round targets: 

Ellis McCarthy: Cleveland prefers massive oversized defensive linemen up-front. McCarthy fits the mold at 6-foot-4, 312 pounds to hunker down and fill space. Playing under defensive minded head coach Jim Mora Jr. at UCLA, McCarthy learned first hand about the nuances of playing in an NFL tempo scheme. The Browns drafted three defensive players last season and none were addressed to the guys playing up-front. They decided to invest in the secondary drafting Justin Gilbert in the first round and Pierre Desir in the fourth. Linebacker Chris Kirksey was taken in the third round leaving the defensive line void of any additional help via the 2014 NFL Draft. It is possible Cleveland adds several guys both early and late in the NFL Draft to improve their defensive line.

Tray Walker: Last season the Browns used two of their six total draft picks on defensive backs. Cleveland selected Justin Gilbert (first round) and Pierre Desir (fourth round). Gilbert, like their other first round pick Johnny Manziel, failed to live up to expectations and the jury remains undecided on if he can be the guy the Browns envisioned when he was taken with the eighth-overall pick last year. Desir looked like a steal as the fall leaves turned to bare less tree branches in northeast Ohio. Walker has been one of the pleasant small-school surprises over the course of the last several months. He has tremendous size (6-foot-3, 203 pounds) and ability for the position. With Buster Skrine leaving Cleveland via free agency to the New York Jets, another quality defensive back is needed, especially not knowing if Gilbert will pan out or flame out in Cleveland.

Tyler Kroft: Tight end Jordan Cameron did not re-sign with the Cleveland Browns and decided to move south to Miami to play for the Dolphins. In his absence the Browns signed Rob Housler (one-year deal), who spent four years with the Arizona Cardinals after being drafted in the third-round of the 2011 NFL Draft. Cleveland should look in the mid to late rounds for a long-term solution. Kroft is a natural receiver with good hands. He was named 2013 first-team All-ACC after catching 43 passes for 573 yards and four touchdowns. His production dipped at Rutgers this past year but still ranked third overall for the Scarlet Knights with 24 catches for 269 yards.

Despite finishing with their best record (7-9) since the Browns went 10-6 in 2007, Cleveland was still dysfunctional and the front-office failed to deliver any production from their two first-round picks from a year ago (Gilbert and Manziel). Their return to the 2015 NFL Draft is armed once again with two first round picks. General Manager Ray Farmer enters his second season under the title and it could be his last if he does not hit a home run with two picks in the Top 19.

The 12^th overall pick Cleveland holds the rights to may become a hot commodity on draft night. Right outside the Top 10 there will still be plenty of interesting and somewhat elite talent available for Cleveland. The team looks solid at running back with both Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell, but do not rule out the team taking a flyer on the immense potential of Georgia running back Todd Gurley. A player like Gurley can elevate the entire offense and also alleviate the pressure to get the passing game up to speed.

Head coach Mike Pettine played safety at West Virginia and basically spent his entire coaching career specifically concentrating on the defensive side of the football. With the Baltimore Ravens, Pettine spent 2005-08 as the teams outside linebackers coach, a position Cleveland is lacking a real threat. Paul Kruger is good, but not worth the hefty contract he signed (2013) worth $40.5 million over the five-years. First-round pick Barkevious Mingo is getting closer to sitting on the infamous “hot seat” since he has failed to produce like a first round pick. Mingo was drafted with the sixth overall pick (2013) and has recorded 84 total tackles and seven sacks. In comparison to Mingo, third-round pick (2014) and linebacker Chris Kirksey recorded 81 tackles and two sacks in one season after being selected 71^st overall in the NFL Draft. Pettine may desire another option to build around from deep and talented outside linebacker class.