Serving as a mid-season review that couples in ensuring he maintains his relevance throughout the regular season, ESPN draftnik Mel Kiper Jr has unveiled who he feels each team would select tomorrow if given the chance.
Coupling this with the Cleveland Browns most recent loss, a ten-point beating at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, the position of “need” labeled byKiper may surprise a few fans. Take it away, Mel…
Cleveland Browns
Top emerging needs: G, DE, OLB, WR
Analysis: The Browns are relying on a lot of young players, counting the unusual case of Brandon Weeden as “young” based on his NFL experience. Some of the areas where they statistically could use an upgrade are ones they can’t just target the draft to help. For instance, they drop balls at a ridiculous rate in the passing game, but Josh Gordon is young, and they still need to see if Greg Little can take the next step and be consistent enough to match his talent level. I think pass rush and the interior of the offensive line are areas they need to address. They could use another sack artist, and they need to maximize the opportunity to turn Trent Richardson into a star.
Drafting tomorrow: Chance Warmack, G, Alabama
There is no telling what the future will hold for Jason Pinkston who was recently placed on the injured reserve with a life-threatening blood clot in his lung. While many fans will point at the linebacker and defensive backfield as immediate needs for Cleveland, the 6-foot-3-inch, 325-pound Warmack would immediately fill a hole many wanted addressed by players like David DeCastro just one off-season earlier. Warmack has started all 26 games during his prior to seasons, showing incredible durability. His run-blocking and toughness would only mean bigger and better things for the team’s recent third-overall pick in Richardson — an insurance policy of sorts that would only serve to protect their most recent investments.
[Related: Pat Shurmur: On squandered opportunities and disappearing goodwill]
