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March 5, 2015Should the Browns be interested in Brandon Marshall?
March 5, 2015The 2015 NFL Draft is inching closer and closer with mock drafts popping up almost every day. The Browns are (once again) a team with a lot of holes to fill, but have two first-round picks at their disposal. ESPN’s Mel Kiper, Jr. released his third mock draft on Thursday, forecasting what he sees happening in the first round.
The team’s biggest needs continue to be defensive line, pass rusher, wide receiver and quarterback In Kiper’s previous mock draft, he had the Browns selecting wide receiver Devante Parker of Louisville and defensive tackle Eddie Goldman of Florida State; his first iteration had the team going defensive line and offensive line.
With the 12th pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, Kiper has the Browns (once again) selecting defensive tackle Danny Shelton of Washington. Shelton is a huge nose tackle at 6-foot-2, 339-pounds. In his senior season last year, he had 93 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, nine sacks, five fumble recoveries. He is a mammoth of player, who will come in right away and help stop the run. Besides being a great run stopper, he also has the ability to collapse the pocket by pushing the lineman back into the pocket. Shelton definitely fits a huge need for the Browns. Here is what Kiper says about the selection:
Danny Shelton
COLLEGE: Washington Class: Sr HT: 6-2 WT: 339 POS: DT
Analysis: Teams ran consistently and effectively on the Browns last season, and it started in the middle of the line, where they just didn’t have the block-eaters after Phil Taylor was lost with an injury. And while we know the Browns need to add at least one pass-catcher who can come in and help early, Shelton landing here would be a gift. He’s not as disruptive as sack and TFL totals indicate, but he can eat up double-teams at the point of attack and make others around him better. He has great awareness and will occasionally simply discard blocks and make the tackle himself. He can also eat up snaps. At 340 pounds, he’s exactly what the Browns need in the middle.
With the 19th pick, Kiper has the Browns selecting offensive tackle Ereck Flowers of Miami (FL). The 6-foot-6-inch, 329-pound offensive tackle has a great combination of size and athleticism. He moves very well for a 329-pound lineman, which will allow him to be a left tackle in the NFL. Here is what Kiper says about the selection:
Ereck Flowers
COLLEGE: Miami (FL) Class: Jr HT: 6-6 WT: 329 POS: OT
Analysis: I can see Browns fans cringing at the thought of a first round with two picks that doesn’t deliver a wide receiver. But let’s remember this draft is packed with pass-catching talent, and if the board breaks this way I think the Browns could target a potential high-impact offensive lineman rather than taking the fifth receiver available at No. 19 overall. The Browns were really set back on offense last year when they lost Alex Mack, and while Flowers isn’t a center, a player like him would have helped offset the brutal ripple effect we saw last year. For a team that has to run the ball to be successful on offense, making sure things are in a good place up front is crucial. The Browns can still get a couple of good pass-catchers from this draft.
Flowers has a lot of potential, but is still very raw in his technique. He is a very good run blocker because of his size and athleticism to make holes for the runner. He must improve his pass protection in order to fully achieve his highest potential. Flowers could conceivably take over the Browns’ right tackle spot for Mitchell Schwartz if this is the route they did indeed choose to take. Doing so would obviously infer that the later rounds would be used to address the perennial weaknesses at the offensive skill positions.
39 Comments
I like this mock draft by Kiper the most so far surpassing McShay’s prediction. I still hope for Parker unless a WR or two could be had in free agency. Any kind of combination which results in improving WR, DT and OL (depth) would be great IMO.
Were any of the Big Three WRs available at #19?
If so, Shelton plus one of them would be amazing.
Kiper makes a good point (yeah, I said it). Having Flowers at RT and Schwartz and Greco compete to start at RG allows us to shift Greco to center if Mack isn’t fully healthy or if he leaves after the 2015 season. Greco at center was a disaster because McQuistan was a disaster at RG.
I would not be upset with these selections.
I was thinking the same thing. I have been annoyed with all the “RT is a need for the Browns talk”. However, the O-Line implosion last year after Mack went down and the importance of the running game are both excellent points. I still wouldn’t love drafting OL in the first, but I at least understand the potential value. I hate when Mel makes a good point.
I begrudgingly respect Mel because he was a grunt with a plan before he was “Mel Kiper and his hair”
He had Strong going at 18, so close.
Uh-oh. We are on the same page again this year…..
Strong is #4 WR this year (at least on RGB’s list and my own)
I get what you’re saying, but I bet his hair had to be even more powerful back in his younger years.
The Browns would be served by investing in an offensive lineman who has played guard and center at a high level. They also need to find a young free agent around 26 or 27 on a 3 year deal that is a road grader who can be taught how to better pass protect. A large nose tackle is a must for our system.
I would be OK with both of these picks. The 1st round is the main course and I want meat and potatoes!
Could not be happier than to see Browns draft these two….
If we pass on one of the big 3 at #12 this year…oooohhh…WFNY may have to suspend my posting rights for a while…
http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEzLzExLzEyLzBlL2dhbWVvZnRocm9uLmI2MjhhLmdpZgpwCXRodW1iCTg1MHg1OTA-CmUJanBn/7dc54fcf/4d2/game-of-thrones-anger.jpg
Thats what she said…? Or no….
What if it is for Fowler? Or we pickup Marshall and Hartline? Long way to go
I doubt we’ll get a sniff of Fowler, but if a big 3 and Shelton are there at #12…grrrrr, tough choice.
BUT, if Fowler AND Shelton are gone AND we pass on a big 3…bad things, bad things, man.
Who needs play-makers when you have meat?
Ugh for real. As much as I harp on our continual inability to stop the running game, getting either or both of these guys would not net us a single extra win.
good post CHARLIE …
hi ELD … i would agree with you. if OL michael bowie is healthy , it may not be a “need”.
okay , i am going to throw this out there … let the lambasting begin : what i saw the browns did in the last draft & with the undrafted rookie free-agents , tells me ray farmer & his scouts really did their homework & know what they’re doing … yes, i guess there’s always the chance they just got lucky with a few of the guys like bitonio , west , kirksey , desir , crowell , k.williams & gabriel .
west , desir & gabriel all came from small schools … anybody heard of linwood college ?? i guess my point is : don’t get all bent out of shape after the 12th & 19th picks … because ray & his staff probably have done their homework & will once again find some hidden gems late in the draft.
I don’t see Shelton falling to us there. Would be nice, but we can’t have nice things
NO NO NO. I am not giving him a pass on 12 & 19 picks. He needs to find some huge contributors there. These should be easier picks that can come in and make a difference this year. I agree he did well with others, but these are supposed to be the easier picks (as far as getting someone good)
hi NATE … they WILL make goods picks at 12 & 19 … but if they don’t draft a WR there , there are gonna be some people over here that get bent by it. i myself don’t see ray taking a WR at 12 or 19 … then again , you never know.
… and there’s always the chance they could trade down to acquire more picks. that will also get some people upset.
I don’t pretend to know who the person will be, but to some extend, it needs to be BPA. Stick to the board
Browns fans like to be upset, it is comforting to them
LMAO … what they really need to do is find STARTERS at 12 & 19 … i don’t care what position they play … they need to contribute immediately. they had a chance to do that last year & neither gilbert or manziel were starters.
I know he’s not a first rounder, but I love Lockett.
hi RGB … i don’t think farmer will take a WR at 12 or 19 … getting someone like lockett a little later is also a good move.
hi MG … marshall just got traded to the jets … now hartline might be a little more interested in chicago.
hi HOP … shelton would definitely help. if the browns can win more games , or keep games closer , because of their defense , it will definitely add-up to some more wins.
hi TB2, NFL has us ranked 3rd in overall defense. Moving to 2nd really doesn’t seem like it would have much impact.
3rd overall ?? …last year we finished 23rd overall – 8th in pass defense & dead last / 32nd again the run. if we would’ve had the 3rd ranked defense last year , we probably would’ve went 9-7.
when our defense & rush offense get to the point where BOTH are ranked in the top 10 , that is when the browns will have a winning record and/or make the playoffs , regardless of who our QB is.
Not sure where you are….
http://www.nfl.com/stats/categorystats?archive=false&conference=0011&role=OPP&offensiveStatisticCategory=null&defensiveStatisticCategory=GAME_STATS&season=2014&seasonType=REG&tabSeq=2&qualified=false&Submit=Go
Clear as day, we were 3rd.
hi HOP … the category you have highlighted is “yards per game” … they gave up the 3rd MOST yards per game … not good.
their defensive rankings are as i posted above.
I picked Defense -> Game Stats. The little triangle by yards per game is not the category selected. Look at the filters above the table.
nope … the red arrow IS the category under the filter you selected … try clicking on another category & the red arrow will move & so will the team in the rankings.
the category that you have highlighted has the browns giving up the 3rd MOST yards per game at 366.1 YPG.
you also selected AFC in the filter … you need to select ALL NFL.
defensive rankings are based on TOTAL YARDS given-up.
okay … this might help : the category you have highlighted in your link has the browns at 3 … this is the 3rd MOST or the 3rd WORST … look at the category with the red arrow … most yards at #1 & then down the line.
now , if you filter : ALL NFL instead of AFC & then select SEASON instead of GAME then hit GO … you will see atlanta at 1 , new orleans at 2 , chicago at 3 & so on. #1 is the WORST team that gave up the MOST yards. so , atlanta is #32 & then count backwards down to the browns & you will see they are at #23 , like i originally posted.
the easiest way to do it is to google “2014 nfl defensive rankings” … trust me , the browns were #23 last year.
hi TRS … i’ve just started posting in this forum in the last few weeks. i see you posting all the time … what’s your story ?? are you a patriots fan or a browns fan ??