5 Prospects the Cleveland Browns Should Target in 2015 NFL Draft

The Cleveland Browns own 10 picks in the 2015 NFL draft, and they should target five prospects in particular.

This is not a mock draft or a list of the top collegiate athletes but a mix of players at various positions who would fill a need for the Browns.

The order of slides will go from lowest to highest current projected draft-round selection based on CBSSports.com's rankings. All statistics are courtesy of ESPN.com.

Cleveland's 7-9 record is the team's best since 2007; however, the five-game losing streak at the end of the season exposed weaknesses at several positions that must be addressed.

Let's take a closer look at some possible future Cleveland Browns.

5. Vince Mayle (WR), Washington State

Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Projected 2015 NFL entry draft round selection: 3

2014 Season Statistics: 106 receptions, 1,483 yards, nine touchdowns

Judging from Browns general manager Ray Farmer's comments at season's end and that he didn't select a wide receiver in last year's deep draft class, it seems unlikely that he would use a high pick on a pass-catcher in 2015.

Here is Farmer's explanation, courtesy of the team's website:

"

I know everyone says I’m stubborn or I’m going to be abstinent about this wide receiver position but I just think that, at the end of the day, an offensive line affects every single play of the game. A wide receiver may touch the ball 10 times if he’s having a great day so I just like the idea of let’s get the guys that affect the game all the time and let’s try and get those guys and make a difference for our football team.

"

An interesting side note is that Cleveland hasn't drafted a WR in the first round since Braylon Edwards in 2005.

Hopefully for Browns fans, someone like 6'3", 219-pound Vince Mayle lasts until the third round, where he is currently projected to be selected. 

As you can see by the above numbers, Mayle is a pass-catching machine who averaged 14.0 yards per reception. If Farmer insists on waiting to take a receiver, then this Washington State senior would be a good place to start.

The Cougars alumnus is raw and only started playing collegiate football in 2012 when he weighed a mighty 240 pounds. Coming into 2013, he was leaner and faster and showed impressive acceleration while quickly developing into one of the team's most reliable wideouts.

Mayle's 2014 campaign proves he's a student of the game as his route running and overall technique improved dramatically. He caught 64 more passes and more than doubled his output from the previous season.

His inexperience is one of the California native's few downsides. However, he's already proved the focus and studious nature necessary to acclimate to the NFL. 

By the time the scouting combine is finished in February, Mayle's stock may have already risen into a round higher than Cleveland's front office is comfortable with.

4. Brett Hundley (QB), UCLA

Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press

Projected 2015 NFL entry draft round selection: 1-2

2014 Season Statistics: 3,155 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, five interceptions, 152.7 passer rating; 644 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns

It's a bad year to want to draft a quarterback when it comes to highly touted prospects. According to CBSSports.com, only two have first-round grades, one has a first/second round split and another is rated to go in the third round.

Who the next starting QB should be is an annual conversation in Cleveland, and this offseason is as murky a situation as ever. The sudden departure of offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan on Thursday, according to Pat McManamon of ESPN.com, only adds to the problem.

No one under center is a sure thing on the active roster.

Brian Hoyer is an unrestricted free agent who faded badly as the season progressed, and Johnny Manziel was a disaster on the field as a starter and a distraction off it. Connor Shaw showed heart and tenacity in the last game of 2014 coming off the practice squad, but he's far from a sure thing when it comes to knowing if he can compete at the pro level.

It seems a given that GM Ray Farmer will need to add one or more bodies at the position via trade, free agency or the draft.

Cleveland's now former OC had a well-known fondness of mobile quarterbacks. Heisman winner Marcus Mariota and bad boy superstar Jameis Winston will likely be gone by the time the Browns make their first pick at No. 12.

Brett Hundley is currently projected to be a later first or second-round pick and may be too good of an option for Farmer to pass up. If the front office isn't comfortable going into 2015 with a new veteran and Manziel, then the draft is the final frontier.

The redshirt junior out of UCLA improved on his overall passing numbers and accuracy from a year ago. However, he still has plenty of work to do in order to improve his footwork, pocket presence and deciphering of defenses.

Hundley is a phenomenal athlete who is a true dual threat, as he demonstrated with 30 rushing touchdowns over his three college campaigns. The Bruin's 6'3", 227-pound build also gives him ideal NFL size, and his powerful arm is pro-ready.

A nice bonus not always seen in fleet-of-foot quarterbacks is that Hundley excels at buying time in the pocket to throw and doesn't look to run if his first read is taken away.

One negative to consider is that he was almost always out of shotgun in a relatively simplistic offense. How quickly can he adjust to the NFL style, and how is his technique when dropping back?

Can a team like the Browns afford to go through the growing pains associated with a young QB if he were to be the club's best option out of training camp? Lots of questions need answering, but Hundley is an intriguing draft option nonetheless.

3. Danny Shelton (DT), Washington

USA TODAY Sports

Projected 2015 NFL entry draft round selection: 1

2014 Season Statistics: 92 tackles, nine sacks

Grabbing Danny Shelton would give Cleveland a cheaper, younger, less injury-prone answer to the possible departure of pending free agent Ahtyba Rubin at defensive tackle.

Cleveland's defensive line was decimated by injuries throughout the 2014 campaign and is in need of impact players and depth. The team must also focus on stopping the run, an area the Browns ranked dead last in the NFL.

Using a first-round selection on Shelton would help in all of the above areas.

Rob Rang of CBSSports.com described him as being "a classic two-gap run-plugger with the bulk and brute strength to bull-rush opponents into the backfield."

That sounds exactly like what the doctor ordered. Add to it that the Washington senior's pure mass allows him to get to the quarterback despite lacking elite pass-rushing techniques.

He's surprisingly athletic for someone with a thick 6'2", 332-pound frame. The Auburn, Washington, native displays the speed to track down ball-carriers downfield and owns a nice vertical leap that allowed him to block three kicks.

Another bonus of this Huskies alumnus is his durability. Shelton played in every game during his three-year collegiate career and is also a serious student. He was named an Academic All-American this season.

2. Dante Fowler Jr. (OLB/DE), Florida

USA TODAY Sports

Projected 2015 NFL entry draft round selection: 1

2014 Season Statistics: 57 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 0 interceptions

One of Dante Fowler's greatest strengths is his versatility in the front seven. 

Dane Bugler of CBS Sports said of the junior: "Depending on the situation the Gators line him up at RDE, LDE, DT, and OLB, ask him to rush from the two-point and three-point stance and occasionally drop him into coverage—including after he has started the play with his hand in the dirt."

Based on that scouting report, Fowler would be an excellent fit in head coach Mike Pettine's hybrid 3-4 scheme.

The Florida Gator seems like he could become a ramped-up version of what the coaching staff was hoping Barkevious Mingo would be in 2014.

Fowler is an inch shorter than Mingo at 6'3" but 20 pounds heavier, weighing in at 261 pounds, and he gives a full effort on every snap. That gives him a better chance of not being outmuscled as much as Mingo has been by offensive linemen.

The Saint Petersburg, Florida, native possesses the deadly combination of explosiveness, speed and power to take the edge and get into the backfield. He's above-average when asked to drop back to defend the pass and is a solid tackler.

Overaggressiveness sometimes hurts him as ball-carriers can scoot by, but when Fowler shows patience, he portrays the traits of a competent run-stuffer.

Selecting him in the draft would give Cleveland a potentially instant playmaker as well as extra depth on the line and at outside linebacker.

1. Andrus Peat (OT), Stanford

Darron Cummings/Associated Press

Projected 2015 NFL entry draft round selection: 1

This 2015 NFL draft is relatively deep when it comes to talented offensive tackles. This is good news for a Browns club that clearly needs to add depth to an O-line that imploded after center Alex Mack's injury.

Cleveland is set at left tackle with perennial Pro Bowl veteran Joe Thomas. However, the right side could use an upgrade with Mitchell Schwartz showing inconsistencies again in his third season as the starting tackle. 

The Browns' quarterback situation is completely up in the air, which means that solidifying pocket protection for the passer is vital for whoever ends up under center. 

Enter Andrus Peat of Stanford.

This monster of a man stands 6'7" and weighs 312 pounds. Unlike many tall linemen, Peat's natural athleticism allows him to get low when defending pass-rushers, and his phenomenal footwork makes sure he isn't knocked off balance.

On January 6, the Cardinal officially declared for the draft. Jerry Hinnen of CBS Sports broke down his impressive collegiate resume: "The 5-star Arizona native made good on his recruiting hype by starting 27 consecutive games, winning the 2014 Morris Trophy as the Pac-12's top offensive lineman and earning multiple 2014 All-America honors."

Adding another high-performing iron man alongside Thomas, rookie Joel Bitonio and Mack (who never missed a game before the broken leg) would surely make the Browns line one of the best in the league.

Peat is the complete package in that his speed makes him a force in the ground attack too. He can bulldoze his way to the second level and make blocks down the field.

Any extra benefit to young running backs Terrance West and Isaiah Crowell are definite pluses for a Cleveland team that had the majority of its success last season when it could rush the football effectively.

The junior played left tackle in school, but he has the talent to make a successful transition to the right side. He's also a nice contingency plan for the 30-year-old Thomas, who won't be around forever. 

Andy McNamara is an international sports broadcaster and journalist.

Follow Andy on Twitter @AndyMc81.