Cleveland Browns' Draft Scouting Guide for the 2015 Senior Bowl

For NFL draft freaks, the Reese's Senior Bowl is an appetizer to the NFL draft combine. It usually contains most of the marquee seniors from college football and is a place where draft grades can get a significant boost.

The Cleveland Browns, like every other team, will be paying special attention to the week of festivities.

The week of practice at the Senior Bowl is as important—if not more important—than the game itself. Quarterbacks are forced to learn a playbook and take snaps from under center, and all players have to go up against NFL-level competition on every play for the first time.

The weigh-ins and height measurements can put a player behind the eight ball or propel his hype train straight for the combine and possibly an increased draft grade, too. Everything is under the microscope.

We also can’t forget the fact that the players have to impress former Browns general manager Phil Savage, who now serves as the executive director of the game.

Let’s take a look at players whom Browns fans should take a particular interest in come this weekend.

Linebackers

J Pat Carter/Associated Press

The Browns need to bolster their outside pass rush from the linebacker position, as well as acquire some depth on the inside.

Barkevious Mingo has yet to reach anywhere near the level of play needed from a sixth overall draft pick, and Jabaal Sheard might end up leaving in free agency.

On the inside, Karlos Dansby is the oldest player on the team. The Browns could use at least one more body, if not a potential future replacement, for Dansby. Luckily for the Browns, there is quite a bit of talent to be had.

One name to watch is Zach Hodges, an outside linebacker from Harvard. He is 6’3”, 245 pounds and was the Ivy League’s Co-Defensive Player of the Year. He finished with 8.5 sacks this year, which gave him 27 for his career.

Chris Burke from SI.com says this could be his chance to shine, writing, "Hodges is explosive off the line and might thrive in one-on-one drills during the week. These showcases against higher-profile players are key for the small-school prospects.

At the inside position, there are a few different routes. If the Browns want to invest a high pick, then they could go with Miami’s Denzel Perryman. He was a monster in college and well-known for getting downhill quickly once the offensive line opened. Perryman is not afraid to meet a running back in the hole.

Burke says if he can show some versatility this week, it could mean an even bigger payday:

"If he backs his physical play by showing range and awareness in coverage, Perryman could vault himself into Round 1."

Don’t sleep on Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc, either He is smaller—measures at under 6’0”—but he has piqued a lot of scouts' and writers' interest, including Josh Norris from Rotoworld: "Cincinnati’s Jeff Luc is intriguing. He might measure in under 6’0” but displayed a lot of success in multiple alignments."

Wide Receivers

Brandon Wade/Associated Press

The Browns had a huge need at wide receiver last season, and they did not draft anyone. That need grows exponentially this year, as the future of Josh Gordon is in question. There are plenty of good players who will be in the draft, and a lot of them are underclassmen.

The best of the seniors on display this weekend will include Tony Lippett from Michigan State. Lippett is exactly what you would expect from a senior receiver from Michigan State. He is not the big play guy whom others will be, but he might run the best routes in the draft.

Josh Norris from Rotoworld says he is the type of guy you can rely upon through this evaluation process:

"There is nothing flashy about Lippett’s frame or athleticism, however, he is one of the best route-runners in this class and wins in contested situations."

What will be interesting to see is if Lippett will take any reps at cornerback this week. He played the position in the Spartans' bowl game against Baylor, and the Senior Bowl is known to move guys around to possible NFL positional fits.

Another interesting prospect is Jamison Crowder from Duke. He is listed at 5’9”, 175 pounds, but he plays like a guy well over 6’0”. He also has small hands but is known as one of the better pass-catchers in the nation.

Josh Harper from Fresno State could be an interesting guy, and he has the size of an NFL pass-catcher. He is listed at 6’1”, 185 pounds, and his measurements will be important this week. He reeled in 90 balls for 1,097 yards and seven touchdowns last season to cap off his incredibly productive career.

He also has experience not being open, which will be the case very often at the next level. He sat down with SeniorBowl.com for an interview and talked about the change form his junior season to his senior year.

“Man, just more coverages focusing on me,” Harper said. “Not as many one-on-ones that I liked, but that’s the main adjustment that I had to go through being the primary target.”

Offensive Linemen

Sharon Ellman/Associated Press

Despite the Browns staying afloat when Pro Bowl center Alex Mack went down for the year, they still need to improve this area of the team.

Right tackle Mitchell Schwartz has been adequate at best, and right guard John Greco is long in the tooth and has never been more than a journeyman.

Some do not like the idea, but I think the Browns should be looking at the offensive line early in the draft. They have six picks in the first four rounds, and there is an abundance of talent to be had. Some of that will be on display this week in Alabama.

The biggest name and man will be LSU tackle La’el Collins. Another name to watch, however, is Pittsburgh’s T.J. Clemmings.

Either one would be a steal in the draft, but it looks as though Clemmings—because he is more of a project—could be had later. Chris Burke from SI.com dove into these two and their differences to watch for this week:

"

The difference between Collins and Clemmings is that the former appears capable of stepping in as an NFL left tackle from the get-go; Clemmings is a better fit, at least right now, either on the right side or at guard.

Collins (6-5, 315) has more than enough strength to hold his own this week. Can he get rolling against some of the Senior Bowl's speed rushers? If he does, plan on Collins being taken early in Round 1.

"

Another name to keep an eye on at tackle is Colorado State’s Ty Sambrailo. At guard, the big names are Shaq Mason and Arie Kouandjio. Josh Norris from Rotoworld says both have something to prove this week:

"

You know about (Kouandjio) due to his brother, but Arie has ridiculous length (34” arms) and massive hands (nearly 11”). He uses both to win, sometimes unconventionally, against his face up opponent. Mason is out of Georgia Tech and is a road grader in the running game, finishing off blocks with true power. His pass protection will be under close watch this week.

"

Whether you like any of these prospects or not, there are plenty of names to watch on the line, as there are every year. A solid performance against the best of the best in your grade can help a young man not only get drafted but become a starter at the next level.

Tight Ends

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

Depending on what happens with tight end Jordan Cameron this offseason, this could be a huge need for the Browns. Cameron ended up as a gigantic disappointment in 2014, and his injury history should have the Browns concerned.

If they choose to part ways with Cameron, then they have a need for a starting tight end immediately. That need could become even greater depending on whom the Browns hire as their offensive coordinator. Even if they choose to bring Cameron back, they still need to bring in someone to groom behind him.

Cameron has proven to be unreliable in his four-year career.

There are a few interesting names to watch this weekend in Mobile, and the list of true tight ends starts with Notre Dame’s Ben Koyack. He is a bigger body who blocks like a tight end and has played some H-back in his collegiate career. He has great hands and is a plug-and-play type of draft choice.

There are also some hybrid guys who fit into the new mold of tight end. Kent State’s Casey Pierce is a guy who could make some noise, and Miami's Clive Walford is as intriguing a player as you will find at the position.

Walford is a massive 6’4”, 263 pounds. He looks like a linebacker and runs with surprising speed. He is raw when it comes to pass-catching, but that is something the Senior Bowl coaches will try and drill out of him this week.

Walford made DraftInsider.net's Tony Pauline’s list of 20 to watch at the Senior Bowl on PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Pauline says he is as much a question mark as anyone in this game:

"Walford is another flying up draft boards around the Internet, but scouts are not as convinced. Is Walford truly a downfield pass-catching threat? Can he outrun linebackers during Senior Bowl drills? Or is he nothing more than a No. 2 tight end for the next level?"

Defensive Linemen

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

Despite the depth the Browns had last season, they were abysmal against the run. In fact, they had the league’s worst run defense. A huge factor in that was the lack of a talent at the nose tackle position.

Phil Taylor, who has the size of a nose tackle but the athleticism of an end, played on the outside until he was lost for the year with an injury to his knee.

Ahtyba Rubin struggled at the nose all season and is now a free agent. It would be extremely surprising to see him in camp again next season.

The Browns could choose to make a huge splash with a guy like Ndamukong Suh in free agency, but that is a crapshoot. We know Suh wants to win, and the money might not be enough to lure him to a situation that has not won in such a long time.

If they do turn to the draft, there are quite a few big-body prospects for them to choose from, but only one in the Senior Bowl fits the bill.

Danny Shelton from Washington is as big as they come. He is a 6’1”, 339-pound run-blocking mountain. He is exactly the type of guy the Browns need to clog the middle of their defense.

Josh Norris of Rotoworld disagrees with the analysts who think Shelton will be gone by the time the Browns draft in the first round:

"Washington’s massive NT Danny Shelton will receive a ton of attention this week. There are many outstanding flashes in Shelton’s game, which fits the NFL’s incorporation of rotation up front. Some even consider Shelton a top-10 selection. I am not one of them."

As crazy as it sounds to draft a nose tackle with a first-round pick, think about all the times the Browns needed a third-down stop late and the other team was able to run for the first and let the clock tick. A guy like Shelton could change all that.